The Revelation of Sacrifice
by Vicious1
Summary: What if someone came to kill Shinji? What if someone came to save him? What if that changed everything? SA with one new original character.
1. Chapter 1: Figure Upon the Horizon

The Revelation of Sacrifice

Chapter 1 - Figure Upon the Horizon / Savior

Based on characters and ideas created by and copyright GAINAX

Reviews/Comments always appreciated

Anything else? Requests? Questions? Contact me at: vicious471@hotmail.com

Guide:

"..." = Speech

'...' = thoughts

(...) = audible sound like a sigh or moan or click

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Setting:

Story picks up right after the 12th Angel. 

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Neon Genesis Evangelion

(Caption)

Figure Upon the Horizon

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=== Shinji's hospital room, night after the battle ===

Shinji's eyes crack open as he moans, awakening from the slumber induced by the battle against the Angel. The room is a blur. He blinks away the blur and his eyes gradually adjust to the darkness, looking up at the ceiling.

"I really DO hate this ceiling," Shinji chuckles, "but at least I can see it."

Shinji senses movement in the room.

"Misato are you there?"

Silence.

"Misato...?"

Silence.

"Asuka?"

"Rei...?" Shinji says, a bit panicky.

"......Good......," a male voice says.

"Who's there!?" Shinji asks, frightened.

"Do not be afraid. Your friends will be here when you awake tomorrow," the voice says.

The next thing Shinji hears is the air vaccume created by the door opening to the hall. In its frame a dark figure stands, covered in black save for his face. The tall man turned in the doorway, a warm, reassuring smile showing on his face.

"Your friends will be glad, but you need sleep now," he smiled to Shinji.

Shinji opened his mouth to ask the man's name and why he was here, at least a dozen question flittered through his mind, but when he spoke those words, Shinji felt his eyelids grow to the weight of an Eva as an unnatural, yet good feeling of fatigue swept over him and he found himself falling into sleep's warm embrace.

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=== Shinji's hospital room, morning ===

Shinji's eyelids crack open once again, this time he shuts them against the light of the day. Slowly opening them again, Shinji's eyes adjust to the brightness. He sighed as a small smile crept to his face as the

clearly refreshed feeling he had shown upon his face. He looked over to the window on his left, seeing the GeoFront's natural glory. He nodded as his head fell over to the right...and it suddenly whipped up as he sat up, coming face to face with Rei.

"You can rest today. We'll take care of everything," Rei said calmly.

"But, I'm feeling just fine now,"

"Well, that's good for you," Rei responded. Shinji later dismissed it as some sort of hallucination, but he would have sworn that he saw the smallest possible arch of her lips upward, smiling, and equally surprising, he thought he heard her give a small sigh, as if letting out a burden of worry she had.

"Huh..." Shinji thought out loud, smiling as he did so.

Rei stands and takes a book with her as she starts for the door...

Meanwhile, outside, a certain red haired German girl had been sneaking peeks into the hospital room occupied by a certain recovering Eva pilot...

"God, I can't hear anything they're saying..." Asuka whined.

She moved toward the door, leaning her ear against it, trying to pick up some sound...and sound was what she got.

"Footsteps?" she wondered out loud.

The whoosh of the door sounded as Asuka tried to regain lost balance as a pair of red eyes diverted their stare towards her fumbling figure on the ground. Rei simply stared for a moment, then continued on her path.

"Ah, oh! Mmm..." She could not form very coherent words as her faced turned a shade of her prized Unit 02. She tried to turn and back away, but a stranger clad in all black garments ran into her as she turned, knocking her into the doorway once again.

"Oh my goodness! I'm sorry!" exclaimed the stranger, offering a hand to Asuka. "I thought you were on your way in...didn't expect you to so suddenly turn around. My fault entirely," he said with a smile, helping her to her feet.

Asuka looked around, her blush increasing.

"I...ah...w-was..going in. Ya, I was going in!" she sounded off matter-of-factly. "That stupid Wondergirl just ran into me, that's all."

"Oh, well that's good to hear. I'll leave you to your boyfriend now," he walked off before Asuka managed to get close to a response.

'That was...him...?' Shinji thought to himself. Although, he smiled on the outside, deciding that whoever that man was, he was definitely a friend.

Meanwhile Asuka was turning shades of red that hadn't existed until now.

"DontgetanyideasfromwhoeverthatlunaticwasShinjicuzitsneverhappening!" she said very quickly.

"Of course," he chuckled.

The chuckle did not last very long as Asuka gave a Super Ultra Mega Death Glare at Shinji before stomping out, her face still red and muttering some curses about hell fires and such being brought down upon that man in the hall.

'She always overreacts...' he thought passively, "but it's worth it. Thanks for caring Asuka..." he finished with a grin, fading back into his pillow for a day of rest.

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=== Several floors down in the Nerv Hospital ===

A meeting of five men in all white cloaks is taking place.

"No longer shall the Holy Messengers be struck down by the infernal beasts!" exclaimed one of them, raising a fist in the air.

"Yes! Our Holy Father's Messengers will bring us redemption for our acts of courage!"

"The cretins of the evil one will no longer plague us! Their demon children will burn in the fires of hell!"

The cloaked men each put forth their right fist, connecting with each other in the center of their circle. Each hand bore a self-mutilated cross with a star above it...and each hand also bore a long serrated knife...

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=== The hallway leading to Shinji's hospital room ===

A cloaked figure walked through a wet spot on the floor. A red, wet spot. A nurse's body lay behind and beneath him and his four partners, their knives dripping with freshly drawn blood. Many more victims lay behind them. Security had only asked them to "hold on there a minute" before they had driven their knives deep into him, taking their weapons away and finishing off the other armed guards with the commandeered handguns. Section 2 was rushing to Shinji's room, but obviously not fast enough as they were always outside the building he was currently in, keeping watch from afar. The first cloaked figure motioned to the others as he reached Shinji's room. The others nodded and split up, two going each way down the hall.

Shinji stirred in his sleep as his resting body picked up the noise of the door opening...

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Neon Genesis Evangelion

(Caption)

Savior

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=== Shinji's hospital room ===

Shinji snapped awake as the sound of gunfire crashed through the air. He looked around, only to find a man in a white cloak grinning sadistically at him and holding a blood covered knife in his right hand.

"A little more time my brothers, hold the armies of darkness whilst I finish the Lord's work here," he grinned maniacally as he slid his hood off, revealing the grotesque image of his mutilated face, crosses and stars carved in his skin.

"Wh-Who are y-you!?" Shinji asked, falling off the other side of his bed, trying to distance himself from the man.

"You need only know I am a servant of God sent to destroy you, hell spawn! You have killed our redeemers time and again, and now we will kill you!" he retorted, noticeably disgusted by Shinji. The man closed the distance and raised his dagger to a cowering Shinji. "The Lord giveth!!!-" he raised the knife to an apex.

"-And the Lord taketh away..." answered a very different voice, just before the head of the would-be murderer exploded in a barrage of automatic fire. Shinji recoiled to the fire as if it had hit him, and tears ran down his cheeks as he curled up into a ball and tried to back away, even though he was already in a corner.

"A..uh...m..nn...an...ahn..mmm...mnn..." he mumbled out as his yet unknown savior approached him.

"I know, you're scared...(sigh)...but I need you to be strong right now Shinji. I know you're scared, but right now, I need to get you out of here, and it'll be a lot easier on both of us if you help me out and get up…okay?"

Shinji's sobs just continued.

"Listen it'll be OK once I get you out of here, I promise. I won't let anything happen, I won't leave you." He reached out and put a hand on Shinji's shoulder, "okay?"

Shinji tried to mumble something, but all he could do was nod shakily as the man helped him up, still supporting a bit of Shinji's weight as he was currently unable to stand on his own.

As they stood some yells were heard from the hall.

'Bastards don't stay down too long do they?' the man in black thought.

The man in black let the clip of his submachine gun fall and replaced it, as well as chambering the weapon. Then somehow he reached into his long coat and withdrew a small cylinder while still holding the weapon AND supporting at least half of Shinji's body weight. He pushed the top of the cylinder with his thumb and tossed it into the hallway. He quickly began a countdown from 12, and he put earplugs in and quickly slipped on some sunglasses. He smiled as he reached one and a loud bang and bright flash followed swiftly by a rough blast of air exploded into the room when the concussion grenade went off. The man carried Shinji as he ran through the now deformed doorway, seeing the four lunatics in white slowly moving to get up on the floor around him at various distances. If it were not for the sunglasses, you would have been able to see the hate and anger emanating from his eyes. He walked to the nearest enemy and stepped downward hard, crushing the other man's neck with his boot. The man in black turned, gradually raising his weapon as the gunfire worked its way up to the head of another assailant. He hefted Shinji up, not letting the boy's feet touch the blood stained floor. Rapid footsteps were heard on the metallic stairs leading to this floor.

"They'll want one of these...things...alive I suppose..." he muttered as the man in black looked back to the cloaked man farthest away from him. "Guess you get lucky today pal..." He walked toward the last of them he would kill and kicked the sprawled out form forcefully in the head, leaving his neck at an odd, unnatural angle.

Shinji was now shaking uncontrollably from the multiple sights of death he had just witnessed. His eyes were wide and he tried to scream as the man was carrying him down the hall, but no sound would leave his mouth, Shinji found that he could not even cry anymore, tears and sniffles would just not come to him.

A group of 4 Section 2 Agents leaped up the stairs, coming face to face with the man carrying Shinji.

"Hold it!" the agent yelled, beginning to reach for his gun...which never happened. As soon as his hand began to move toward the weapon at his side, he thought he saw a blur in front of him before realizing he was staring at the barrel of a submachine gun.

"Before you do anything rash," the man in black began, "know this, I am the only reason this child is still alive." He lowered his weapon and motioned to the bodies in white cloaks behind him, blood now staining their garments.

The Section 2 agent's eyes narrowed, as his hand relaxed, no longer reaching for the weapon. He looked back to the other agents and nodded to them as they nodded back.

"We'll have to ask you to come with us," he stated.

"I'll come with you once Shinji is in the direct custody of Major Katsuragi," the man in black responded, holstering the machine gun somewhere within his trench coat.

The Section 2 agent paused for a moment before taking out a cell phone and giving a hand signal to the other 2 agents, who nodded in unison.

"I left one of them alive for interrogation, so you might want to mention that as well..."

"That will be...appreciated...by the Commander, I'm sure..."

The dark clothed man carried Shinji to a nearby chair, followed by the Section 2 agents. After setting the now nearly catatonic Shinji into a chair, he lowered himself into one and breathed a barely noticeable sigh of relief.

(over the phone)

"Ma'am, I'm afraid we were too late to get to the Third Child, but-"

"What the hell do you mean, 'too late'!?!? You just said that the situation was under control!" Misato screamed into the phone, her emotions of fear for Shinji's life overflowing in her voice as it cracked, "tell me exactly what the fuck happened, NOW, because I'm already on my way!"

"As I was trying to say ma'am, the Third Child wa-"

"He has a goddamn name!" Misato cried, the tears evident in her voice.

"Alright," the agent was slightly annoyed by Misato's interruptions, but let his anger slide away as he realized how she must be feeling, "ma'am, as I was saying, Section 2 agents witnessed strange cloaked men enter the building and I ordered our single agent within the building to stop them and ask their identification and business in the building as soon as he found them. After checking in that he was going to question them, 7 minutes passed until we received a distress call from the hospital staff saying that some deranged killers were heading for the Thir-..Shinji's...floor. I ordered the immediate convergence on the building. We found numerous dead bodies from the lobby to Shinji's floor, the current count is 27, but total is as of yet unconfirmed."

"Sounds like you guys sure dragged your asses getting there," Misato snorted, obviously pissed.

"Ma'am, it was you who ordered us to keep a larger distance between ourselves and the Children..." then he heard a click as the line went dead.

Misato's eyes narrowed in her car as she pulled up to the hospital, having broken just about every driving law in Japan in the process. She slammed on the breaks in the middle of the parking lot, pushed the door open and got out, leaving the car with its door open, running in the middle of the lot. Misato ran to the entrance, she needed no ID, for almost every male in the entire Nerv organization knew her face (and her body). She ran up the stairs, reaching the floor that Shinji was supposed to be on, the tears beginning to return to her eyes. She saw a Section 2 agent look at her, as she frantically turned her head in search of Shinji, finding him a short distance away sitting in a chair, head cradled in his hands.

"Shinji!" Misato cried out, running to him whilst crying freely.

"M-Misato?" Shinji asked barely heard above the hysterical woman's crying.

She wrapped him in her arms, squeezing him as tight as she could. His head lay crushed against her more than ample bosom, something Shinji would have normally blushed furiously over, had he not still been in a half-shocked state. The two cried while holding each other, Shinji had gradually come out of his catatonic state and returned her fierce hug. All the while, neither had really noticed the benevolent figure watching over them from only a few feet away.

"I'm sorry to..interrupt ma'am, but the Commander wishes to see the Third Child and Mr.-....." the Section 2 agent looked oddly at the dark man, "ahh, I don't believe I caught your name Mr...?"

"Langley," responded the tall, dark man.

"All right, well, if you would come with us, Mr. Langley," the agent said dryly, as he stepped to the side allowing for the man to walk in front of him.

"Hold on a goddamn minute!" Misato yelled, "Who in the hell are you?"

The man's eyes made contact with Misato, boring a hole through every self-defense barrier she had and staring at her soul. She was unable to place the feeling that was coursing through her veins, but it was like nothing she had felt before. Not necessarily bad or good, but definitely different.

"A friend, Major. I assure you, I am a friend..." he spoke, breaking the eye contact.

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=== Commander Ikari's office ===

Two security agents stood on either side of Langley. Commander Ikari sat behind his desk, hands clasped together under his nose as usual. Vice- Commander Fuyutsuki stood ever present beside and behind him. Langley was not bound in any way, just standing, eyes masked by his wrap-around shades.

"Who are you?" Ikari asked flatly.

"Colonel Andrew Langley, United States Central Intelligence Agency," Andrew responded with a slight smile.

"Of any relation t-"

"No, sir, I am of no relation to Pilot Sohryu," Andrew interrupted.

"Why are you here?"

"The United States did not believe Nerv Security Forces would be able to handle the threat from the growing number of religious fringe cults aiming themselves to kill the Children and destroy the Evangelions, "he responded coolly. "So therefore, President Carville met with British, French and Russian officials, who collectively agreed to up the security on the Children with or without Nerv's specific approval."

"You did not answer my question."

"I suppose I didn't," Andrew spoke thoughtfully, "well, then I would be that heightened security, but you already knew that, didn't you?"

"...." Gendo paused before responding, and smirked, "One man to make the difference?"

"Well, Commander Ikari," Andrew grinned back, "this 'one man', is the sole reason your son, Pilot of Unit 01, currently breathes. And I also outclass all security personnel in Nerv. My records will be available upon request from the U.S. State Department should you wish to verify my statements."

"That won't be necessary...you will go to Matsushiro and board the next flight to the United States," Gendo responded coolly, his hand motioning to the agents to take Andrew away.

"Hey, would you just hold on a minute?" Andrew comically responded, holding up a hand to stop them, as he looked at his watch, which read 9:39:43, "you might want to wait about 15 seconds."

"And why would that be?" Gendo asked indignantly.

"8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...bingo"

As if upon command, Gendo's phone rang. He picked it up slowly.

"Yes? Yes......I don't-.....of course...alright...fine," Gendo appeared to concede to whoever was on the other line.

"Who was that?" Andrew asked, fleeting no knowledge of who it was.

"The Japanese Security Council representative. Apparently your government has somehow gotten the UN to go along with this." Gendo answered.

"And...?" Andrew beamed knowingly at Gendo.

"...and we are to concede to you Alpha level security clearance." Gendo said, looking to Fuyutsuki questioningly.

"Ah, that sounds like a plan, now doesn't it? Well, I'll be taking my leave of you now, I won't take up any more of your time."

Andrew gave a smile and a wink, then turned and strode across the massive office with the security agents. They both went through the door while Andrew paused.

"Oh yeah...don't worry about me snooping around any, I don't work for SEELE, Ikari. So I won't be screwing around with either of your scenarios." Andrew spoke without turning around, then proceeded out the door.

Should anyone else besides Sub-commander Fuyutsuki been watching, they may have had a heart attack upon the site of Commander Ikari's mouth dropping slightly and his brow furrowing when he heard those words.

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=== Hallway outside Ikari's office ===

Rei is walking past as Andrew exits the commander's office. She looks at him, pondering a face she does not recognize. He pauses, looking at her for a moment, then smiling warmly.

"Ahh, the one intended for Instrumentality."

Rei's eyes went wide as his words registered in her brain.

'Who is he?' 'Why is he here?' 'How does he know this?' Were among the questions running through her mind.

"Wh-Who are you?" Rei stuttered, something she was unaccustomed to.

"I am one sent to protect you, Rei."

Rei could not place it, but the man's words created a sense of well being within her.

"Protect me? Why?" Rei questioned, knowing full well just how replaceable she was.

"Hmmm, how to answer..." Andrew thought aloud, "I suppose because, despite what you may think of yourself, you are not as replaceable as you may think Rei." he added with a serious tone.

"....I...I do not know what you speak of." Rei stammered, a mixture of emotions flooding her mind as she backed away from Andrew slowly.

"Hmmm, I think you do Rei. You just aren't accepting it...I don't believe Shinji or Misato or..." he laughed, "or even Asuka, for that matter, would perceive the loss of your current self as something good."

Rei blushed slightly as she quickly turned and walked away.

'That'll be the hard one' he thought, 'but I will succeed'. The dark man walked off into the deep shadows of Central Dogma.

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=== Back in Commander Ikari's office ===

"You will explain what occurred between the time of 9:13 and 9:27," Ikari commanded to Shinji.

"I...I...it..." Shinji couldn't think clearly let alone speak.

"Now," boomed Ikari.

"Men...men in crosses, they-they tried to kill me!" Shinji cried out.

"That much we already know, Third Child. I want details from you. The assassins destroyed the security cameras."

"I..it's...it's h-hard to remember," Shinji said, his voice betraying him to be on the verge of tears, something he wished not to show to the bastard of a father he had.

"...very well..." Gendo said unexpectedly, "you will gain a night's rest and try to remember again tomorrow, is that understood?"

"Y-Yes sir...I..uh..th-thank you father," Shinji spoke with words he never expected to say to the man sitting before him.

Shinji walked out of the office accompanied by four Section 2 agents. Gendo got up and walked to the window behind his desk, overlooking the entire GeoFront. Fuyutsuki joined his friend and commander.

"That American was fairly impressive, wasn't he Ikari?" Kozou spoke with an inward smile. It was rare that Ikari would ever have something like this forced upon him.

"Impressive isn't the word I would use..." Gendo practically snarled back at his Sub-commander. "He is a nuisance that will have to be dealt with some time in the near future."

Fuyutsuki was taken back by this. Normally Gendo was never so aggressive as to eliminate someone with such a low importance value. Then it hit him.

"You're concerned about his knowledge," Kozou answered, "He knew of SEELE, it's scenario, AND the fact that you have your own scenario. I'll have to agree that is fairly disturbing."

"Yes," Gendo agreed, "either the Americans have far superior intelligence abilities than we would have imagined or he is more than just a simple bodyguard for the Children." Gendo paused for a moment, then turned to Fuyutsuki, "I want him shadowed constantly. Get Kaji, he is our best, he may

learn some information from this 'Agent Langley'."

"I'll get him on it immediately sir." answered Fuyutsuki.

"It's gone too far for any mishaps or deviations. I trust you will instruct Agent Kaji on his options regarding such things, am I correct professor?" Gendo sneered.

"Of course Ikari," frowned Kozou, 'but what if he proves to be too resourceful to be eliminated by Kaji? I wouldn't underestimate his abilities if I were you Ikari...'

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=== Car train #14 loading area, Tokyo 3 ===

Andrew walked along with his hands in his long coat. A small downpour was going on. In the shadows behind him, one Agent Ryouji Kaji was following him, using the utmost of his stealth abilities. Kaji had encountered this CIA agent 4 times in person before. Although Kaji was in the elite of the intelligence world, he was unsure of his abilities when compared to Langley's.

'He's not taking any evasive action, which means one of three things; he doesn't think he'll be followed...not likely. He doesn't think he needs to worry about his safety just yet...hmmm, possible. Or lastly, he already knows exactly where I am...yeah, that's probably the one.' thought Kaji, his self-confidence diminishing.

Kaji was reaching for his radio to check in when he heard the all too familiar sound of a gun being chambered.

"Ryouji Kaji...come out from behind there now."

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To be continued...

Next Episode: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

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Author's Notes: Well, there it is, Chapter 1 of my very first FanFic. Hope it's good. More will be coming soon. I hope to turn out a chapter every week or so, depending on how much time I'll have with school n' stuff. Please tell me if I'm making any characters too OOC.

Love n' Pizza

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	2. Chapter 2: The More Things Change

The Revelation of Sacrifice

Chapter 2 - The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

Based on characters and ideas created by and copyright GAINAX

Reviews/Comments always appreciated

Anything else? Requests? Questions? Contact me at: vicious471@hotmail.com

Guide:

"..." = Speech

'...' = thoughts

(...) = audible sound like a sigh or moan or click

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Neon Genesis Evangelion

(Caption) The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

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=== Apartment complex, 5 hours after the attack ===

Misato is walking with Shinji down the hall to their apartment, escorted by Nerv Security Forces.

"Don't worry Shinji, we're almost home," Misato said, trying to be reassuring to the boy.

"I'm not worried now Misato....I...I just...(sigh)...I don't know," Shinji mumbled out.

"Well, Asuka will be glad you're ok," ...then Misato actually took the time to think about what she just said.

"Hmph, yeah right....she'd be happier if I had died...." Shinji responded with a trace of venom in his voice.

"Shinji!" Misato scolded, "Do you really believe Asuka would be like that?" she honestly couldn't read the emotions between Shinji and Asuka. She had tried many a time, and failed at all attempts. One minute they would be in perfect harmony, the next, they would be bickering, ending up with a slap or some sort of abuse from Asuka.

Shinji just stayed silent, which worried Misato slightly.

They both walked up to the door of the apartment, which slid open before them. The Nerv Security Guards saluted Misato, who half-heartedly returned their salute. Shinji walked in, his fatigue apparent. Upon stepping into the living room, he and Misato were shocked to see Rei and Asuka sitting there...and not fighting or yelling, just watching TV.

"Uh.." Shinji's mind had been shocked far too many times today.

"Hi Rei, what's up?" Misato asked cheerfully.

"Good afternoon Major. I...was concerned for Pilot Ikari's well being and the sub-commander advised me to wait for his return at this location." Rei spoke dryly, without emotion.

"I..uh...I...thank you...Rei," Shinji stammered, "that was very...uh…nice of you."

"You are welcome Pilot Ikari, is there anything I may do for you?" Rei responded with a slight smile.

Shinji blushed, "I..ah...no, I think I'm..uh...ok."

Rei's smile faded and she looked almost disappointed. This shook Shinji a little.

"Uhh...Rei?" Shinji asked shyly, his blush depening.

"Yes Shinji?" Rei said, responding suspiciously quickly.

"I...uh...c-could use a good bowl of miso...?" Shinji asked, missing the fact that Rei used his first name, though his blush reddened nonetheless.

All the while, Asuka had been flipping channels, not looking at any of the company in her home. Although she was apparently listening, for as the conversation between Rei and Shinji went on, she clicked the buttons on the remote with intensifying force, literally trying to crush them with each click before Rei and Misato headed to the kitchen.

Shinji smiled to the two girls as they went into the kitchen, Misato giving him a victory sign/wave. Then he looked over to Asuka, who was shaking with anger for a reason unknown to him. He walked slowly over to the couch and sat down next to her.

"Hey Asuka...i-is there anything good on?" he asked her sheepishly.

"How would I know idiot? You two lovebirds over there were having such a wonderful conversation I couldn't even concentrate!" she yelled at him.

"I...I'm sorry," he lowered his head.

'Can't he do anything but apologize to me? Damn it! How am I supposed to live with such a spineless wimp?!' Asuka thought angrily to herself. "Agh! Shinji you are such an idiot!" she nearly screamed at him, winding up for a smack. Shinji reactively shielded his head with his arms, curling down into a ball.

Just as she was about to follow through with her hit, her anger grew. 'Damn it! What the hell is wrong with him? I KNOW he's stronger than this! Why can't he ever stand up for himself against me? He's...he's such a...god...in the Eva. It pisses me off so much to see him curl up in his shell when I know he can do better!' Asuka reached her arm's apex and was about to unleash hell on Shinji's body when the doorbell rang and disrupted her train of thought.

"You're lucky Third Child...this time..." she whispered to Shinji.

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=== Meanwhile, in the hallway outside Katsuragi apartment ===

"Really, how long has it been? I mean since we were face to face?"

"Oh let's see, Shanghai 2012? I think that was the last time..."

"Heh, I'd prefer NOT to remember that."

"You're just lucky I was there to do the same thing as you, just for some different people."

"I suppose Lady Luck is a good friend of mine in that case."

"I'd have to agree Agent Ryouji Kaji."

"Don't tell me YOU'VE never relied on luck Mr. CIA Babysitter?" asked a skeptical Kaji.

"Hey hey, lighten up there. I'd prefer to think of this as a VIP protection program, thank-you-very-much," replied a smiling Andrew Langley, "And besides, I rely on my skill, not luck."

"Whatever..." responded a still skeptical Kaji, rolling his eyes.

The two come up to the corner section where Misato's apartment is. Andrew carries a small sack over his shoulder while Kaji is in his usual sloppy attire, slouching with his hands resting in his pockets.

"Did you really need my help to get here, Langley?" Kaji questioned, his eyes narrowing.

"No, I've already been here at least a dozen times familiarizing myself with the area, but hey, this is a plausible excuse to get over to Misato's, eh?" Andrew responded, ribbing his so called 'guide'.

Andrew removed a red ID card from his coat pocket and slid it through the door's reader, unlocking the apartment adjacent to Misato's. He walked in and threw the bag on the couch, then came back outside.

"Mmmmmm," Andrew moaned as he stretched his arms into the air, "how about you 'introduce' me to my new neighbors?"

"Why it would be my pleasure Andrew," Kaji said with a wry smile.

The two took a few steps and then Kaji reached out and rang the door bell.

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=== Inside the Katsuragi apartment ===

Asuka had gotten up from the couch to get the door and was about to yell that she would get it when she found Misato walking to the door in front of her. Asuka decided to stick around to see who it was. Misato pushed a button which slid the door open, and her face instantly drained of color and her knees became excessively weak, from the dual shock of seeing Shinji's new guardian AND her ever pursuing 'boyfriend', (in a loose term) Kaji.

"Gahh...uh...Wh-What are y-you doing here?" Misato stuttered, pointing to an indiscriminant point between the two men.

"Well I came for a perfectly innocent reason...this time gorgeous," said Kaji slyly, giving one of his infamous ladykiller smiles, "our CIA agent here is an...acquaintance...of mine from a while back and we've sort of....kept in touch over the years, eheh."

"Good to meet you formally Major Katsuragi. And Kaji was just showing me the location of my new apartment and I asked him to introduce me, he had no ulterior motives I'm sure," grinned Andrew, smoothly lying through his teeth.

Misato was still white and just turned to go back to the kitchen, leaving the door open.

"That means come on in, whoever's there," Asuka sounded off, as if annoyed by something.

"And that must be the Second Child," Andrew retorted.

"Yeah it is, and who the hell is-" Asuka didn't have time to finish as Kaji and Andrew walked through the door.

For the first time, Asuka didn't immediately jump and glomp on Kaji. She was now faced with TWO devastatingly handsome men. Kaji was in his usual slack, rugged handsomeness. But this other man wore all black, from a black shirt to a black belt, black pants, black combat boots, a long black trench-coat, black fingerless gloves. Two bangs of brown hair fell down to near the corners of his mouth, each framing his face and a Kaji-style pony tail in the back, except the hair was slightly better cared for. But what captured Asuka was his eyes, they froze her in place. Green eyes that seemed somehow knowing.

"Uhhh...hi Kaji," Asuka said without her usual overabundance of emotion for him, "wh-who's that?"

"Hmmm? Oh this guy?" he said smiling and gesturing to Andrew, "he's just the guy that saved Shinji's life today."

"WHAT!?!" practically screamed Asuka.

"Oh hadn't you been informed?" questioned Andrew.

"I...yes...but...you..." stammered Asuka, her thoughts a jumbled mess.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Misato was already on her second Yebisu when Rei finished Shinji's soup. Rei brought it out on a small serving board to Shinji's place on the couch.

"Thank you Rei, it looks very good," Shinji said appreciatively to her.

Rei blushed slightly. "You are welcome Shinji."

However this time Shinji did not miss Rei calling him by his first name and almost spilled the entire bowl in surprise. Some of the miso sloshed over the side and got on Shinji's shirt.

"Ugh...this is gonna stain...." Shinji said, 'and this is my favorite shirt too...' he thought. But before Shinji could put down the soup to get a towel, Rei was already walking back in with one in each hand.

"Uh...thanks Rei," he smiled warmly to her.

"It was my error," she looked downward, not letting her face show, "I was too forward."

"N-No you weren't...I...I just wasn't used to it, Rei," Shinji said, trying to cheer her up.

Rei looked up at Shinji, her eyes soft and warm. She then realized that she was staring at him and blushed rather furiously. She looked down and dabbed at Shinji's shirt with a wet towel, then dried him with another. Both she and Shinji could feel the heat in their cheeks as Rei finished cleaning off his shirt.

"...uh...ah...I...uh...th-thanks...R-Rei," Shinji squeaked out, suddenly finding his shoes to be the most fascinating things on the planet.

For the first time in recorded history, Rei Ayanami was at a loss for words. Her mouth hung slightly open trying to form a response, but none came. Realizing that she was yet again staring at Shinji, Rei tried to get up, but her body was ignoring her brain's commands.

"Hey Shinji it looked like you spilled something all over yourself so here's-" Asuka stopped mid-sentence as she found Rei kneeling near Shinji. This position from her angle looked like something quite different, and the looks that they were giving each other combined to shock Asuka effectively. She didn't yell, or scream, or hit anyone, or throw a fit or do anything but turn around and walk away. The color was slowly draining from her face as she threw the towels she had brought for Shinji onto the counter of the kitchen where Andrew, Kaji and Misato were talking. She walked quietly to her room. Then an earth shattering slam was heard as Asuka's door connected with the wall. Asuka stomped to her bed and smashed her fist into the pillow on her bed.

"Damn that Wonder-Bitch," she muttered through her clenched teeth.

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=== In the kitchen of the Katsuragi apartment ===

Misato, Kaji and Andrew had been talking when Asuka walked past, but they had stopped to watch her, and all had cringed when the door was slammed.

"Hmmmm...." Andrew wondered aloud, "she has a thing for Shinji, huh?"

Kaji and Misato looked at Andrew, each with a single eyebrow raised and a look of "what are you, stupid?" plastered across their faces.

"I'd tend to think the opposite there buddy," said a drunken Misato.

"And I'm forced to agree with old Katsuragi here," agreed Kaji, "I would believe Asuka had a thing for me, with how she is always glomping on me and asking me to take her places."

"That is just lust Kaji," corrected Andrew, "put 2 and 2 together. It's ver-"

"FOUR!!!" interrupted Misato with a hand raised in the air holding up three fingers.

Kaji and Andrew developed two fairly large sweatdrops and Kaji decided it was time for Misato to go to bed. He half carried her to her room and left Andrew in the kitchen to clean up the glasses and such. Rei walked through the kitchen without a word and nodded a greeting to Andrew as she passed. Andrew nodded and smiled back as she went out the door, even though she couldn't see him. Then Shinji walked in.

"Hey Shinji," he greeted.

Shinji froze in place as he saw Andrew's face. The shock of the day all came back in moments as he saw the face of the man who saved him. Shinji couldn't help but think of the face on the man about to kill him before it exploded in a hail of gunfire. It was too much to handle, Shinji's knees buckled as he found himself falling...his vision clouded by the tears of horror and gratitude. As he collapsed, Shinji felt something grip his shoulders and suspend him for a moment in the air, then lift him to a chair at the table.

"Take it easy there kid," Andrew said, "I think you've had enough trouble for one day. Last thing we need is a concussion."

Shinji smiled, but did not even realize he was doing so as the man turned to cleaning again.

"I..." Shinji began, the words choking in his throat.

"No need," Andrew said without turning to face Shinji, "All in a day's work."

"...I-I-I n-need to s-say it. O-Otherwise something just won't feel right." Shinji said, resolve appearing in his voice. "But uhh," Shinji blushed, "I kinda don't know your name though..."

"Well that's easily rectified," Andrew said spinning around, his trench coat creating a flowing sea of black in fluid motion. He stuck his hand out to Shinji and bowed, "name's Andrew Langley, and I'm pleased to make your acquaintance Mr. Ikari."

"Th-Thank you, Mr. Langley. And please, just call me Shinji," Shinji said with a deepened blush as he bowed and shook Andrew's hand.

"Well, then you'll have to call me Andrew, that's only fair, huh?" he responded with a warm smile.

"A-All right...Andrew." Shinji said sheepishly.

"Alright, now that we are all introduced, I have some questions for you Shinji Ikari," Andrew eyed him critically, "First off, is this place always THIS messy? I mean, I was briefed that your apartment was generally messy, but this place is a train wreck!"

"Heh, you noticed?" Shinji said sarcastically, "Well, I've tried my best to pick up after those two, but my God, I never realized two women could be such utter slobs. I thought girls were the clean, critical ones."

"You've learned something valuable about the female psyche here," Andrew chuckled, "Though in public they may seem delicate and cautious about such things as hygiene and cleanliness, in their real lives at home, they care less than us guys."

"That's pretty obvious," said Shinji eyeing the trash and numerous beer cans around the floor. "You know, I was gone for what? Three days? I-"

"Are you complaining again, Shinji?" screeched Asuka as she stepped into the room.

"I...uh...no not really," Shinji managed, getting an odd look from Asuka.

"You better not be," Asuka grinned as she eyed Andrew, "and who is this?" she said as she eyed him lustfully.

"Someone way out of your league Asuka," Andrew retorted with a massive grin, causing Shinji to chuckle.

"I think you have that backwards," she said irritably, "the two BOYS in this room are way out of MY league," she finished off triumphantly while opening the fridge.

"Is that so, Second Child? I would tend to think that the NUMBER ONE Eva pilot over here would be the best," Andrew drew a lopsided grin of victory as Asuka burned red with anger.

"Why you stupid, conceited....wait a second! You're that dummkopf that ran into me in the hospital!" she said pointing at Andrew.

"Why yes, that would be me," he said, outstretching his hand once again, "Agent Andrew Langley." 'Oh Jesus,' he thought looking up to Heaven, 'she is gonna go on about me stealing her name or some crap...oh well.'

"Langley? Langley!? LANGLEY!?!" Asuka began with the fury on her face evident. "All of you boys ARE perverts! You stole my name! What were you trying to suggest by that! RRRGGHHH!!!"

Asuka went up to Andrew to slap him but before she could react to him, she found herself pinned to the table next to where Shinji was sitting, a look of awe and bewilderment on his face.

"That...hurts...you...pervert!" Asuka yelled as she struggled to get free from the man holding her down.

"Don't you think it hurts whenever YOU hit someone Asuka," Andrew responded with a disgusted tone as he released her. "And perhaps it hurts in more ways than one...consider that the next time..."

Asuka scowled at him, massaging her wrist. Then from his position in the hall, Kaji, who had been watching the entire time came out.

"Well, I think I'll be leaving now," he said with his usual carefree tone, "old Katsuragi is changed and in bed, so don't worry about her."

"Thanks, Kaji," 'for not interrupting me' he added mentally.

"No problem," 'I don't know what you're trying to do here Langley, but as long as the kids stay safe, I'd like to see it play out.' Kaji thought to himself with a bit of curiosity. "Well, I have to be up early tomorrow, so I'd best get SOME rest tonight." he winked and smiled to the group and started for the door.

"What!?! You're going to leave us here with this psycho!? He could kill us all! We don't even know who he is!" complained Asuka, tugging on Kaji's shirt sleeve.

"Oh, hasn't anyone told you Asuka? Andrew's the one who saved Shinji's life this morning," Kaji explained, "and he is now your new guardian to protect from the growing number of possible attackers."

A stunned Asuka looked from Kaji to Shinji, who nodded with a small smile and then to Andrew who smiled and clicked his tongue while snapping his right index finger into a point at Asuka.

Asuka stayed silent as she sat down at the table across from Shinji. Kaji left the apartment, followed by Andrew.

"Well," Shinji said breaking the silence that had settled over them, "it's getting late so I guess I'll head to bed," he said suspiciously quickly as he headed to his room.

"Hold on there, Shinji," Asuka commanded, holding up a hand, "did you forget that we never had dinner, and unlike you, I didn't get any soup from Wondergirl."

"But Asuka can't-" Shinji started.

"No but's about it Shinji," Asuka interrupted, "this new guy isn't changing our lives one bit, and I'll see to that!"

"Can't you just get something for yourself for once," Shinji said indignantly.

"What was that!?" she yelled, anger filling up and then....SMACK! "Get me something to eat, baka!"

Shinji rubbed the side of his head that Asuka hit and looked at her with hurt in his eyes. 'I'll have to ask Andrew to teach me how to do that stuff he did to Asuka before.' he thought making a mental note to himself.

"...Sorry Asuka, I'll get make something for you..." Shinji's voice trailed off as he turned away into the kitchen and fired up the stove.

Suddenly Asuka had an odd look on her face as she stared at her hand. Andrew's image flashed into her brain: ' Don't you think it hurts whenever YOU hit someone Asuka, and perhaps it hurts in more ways than one...consider that the next time... ' his words rang through her head.

"Uhh...Shinji? Could you call me when it's done?" Asuka said softly as she turned to go to her room.

"Umm...sure...Asuka..." Shinji said, confused by her sudden mood change.

Asuka walked to her room and shut the door quietly. She braced herself against the wall with her hands and lowered her head in deep thought.

"Why do I feel guilty? It was that idiot's fault for not wanting to feed me...but still...I guess I COULD have let him go to bed..." Asuka's eyes grew as she thought about what she was making Shinji do. "He was almost killed today...he probably saw a lot of dead people from what I heard Misato say over the phone...and I wasn't exactly as comforting as Wondergirl was, damn her..." she felt something hit her foot...a tear. "I h-hit him...a-and he didn't even fight back...h-he just went and apologized to me...that-that idiot!"

With that Asuka punched the wall with all her might, venting some of the frustration she felt in trying to deal with Shinji. Her fist dug into the wall as her face contorted into a face of anger and pain. Blood trickled down from her now wounded hand.

Shinji heard the loud thud as Asuka's hand hit the wall.

"Oh man, I hope she doesn't hit me...AGAIN..." Shinji added with a hint of annoyance.

Shinji thought his fears confirmed when Asuka's door slid open slowly and he heard her step out. He was almost sure that another injury would be added to his already impressive repertoire.

"Asuka, the food isn't-" Shinji had no chance to finish as he turned to see Asuka next to him holding her bleeding right hand in her left. "Oh my God Asuka! Are you ok? I'll get some bandages!"

Asuka just stared blankly as if in some deep thought that no one could bring her out of. Shinji started off down the hall and quickly returned with a misshapen pile of first aid material in his arms.

"Come on Asuka," Shinji said surprisingly calmly, "let me take care of that." He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around when she did not answer his call. She was shaken from whatever fantasy world her mind had wandered to and looked down at her hand as the pain began to register in her mind.

"Give me your hand," Shinji commanded. Without thinking first, Asuka reached her injured hand out and Shinji took her wrist with a great amount of care. He washed it off with cold water, then took a cotton swab and blotted alcohol on it. "This'll hurt Asuka," Shinji said, trying to be soothing as he dabbed her cuts with the alcohol, causing Asuka's teeth to seethe with pain. "I'm sorry..." Shinji apologized as if he could control pain the alcohol inflicted.

Asuka looked down at Shinji who was paying agonizingly careful attention to all of her self-inflicted wounds. She felt the urge to cry for a reason unknown to her, but stuffed it down deep within her as she stood resolute with her promise to never cry again. She had to be strong. She had to be able to be alone, on her own. She had to be self-sufficient. She had to take care of herself...

"Ok, I think it's finished," Shinji said as he finished wrapping Asuka's hand in gauze. "Come over here while I…" Shinji trailed off as he looked over to the stove with a visible pillar of smoke ascending from what was supposed to be Asuka's dinner. "Gaahhh!" Shinji blurted as he ran to the stove and threw on an oven mitt and threw the flaming dinner in the sink and turn the water. Shinji walked over to the fridge and grabbed some instant junk and a packet of curry. He threw the instant into the microwave and then took out a box from the cupboard. Inside the box were his own selection of spices and herbs. Shinji took out a few bottles and sprinkled some of their contents onto the curry, which created a tasty blend to make the instant stuff a little more bearable. Then in Misato form, he glopped the curry onto the instant noodles and rice which formed a good tasting mixture thanks to Shinji's spicing.

"Here you go Asuka," Shinji said softly as he put a carton and some chopsticks in front of her place at the table. "Sorry, the real dinner got a little burned...'understatement of the century'...but this stuff should be pretty good."

Asuka looked at Shinji's back as he went to clean the kitchen up and then went to her eating. Or tried to at least. Since she was right handed and her right was the one currently in pain, that left her with only her left hand to do the work. She tried to use the chopsticks, but to no use.

"Rrrrgghhh," Asuka growled as she struggled with the chopsticks which were consistently proving too difficult for her to master with her left hand. Shinji had kept glancing at Asuka, not hearing a complaint about his cooking or even the sound of chewing. Then he heard her ventilation of anger through the growls.

"Oh, let me help you Asuka," Shinji said as he walked over to her.

"I can do it on my own, Third Child…" Asuka said with a definite edge to her voice. "I'm not helpless you know," her voice grew in volume, "so just back off, baka!"

"I…I…just wanted to…help….I'm sorry, Asuka," Shinji said quietly as he backed away and finished cleaning in the kitchen.

'Damnit! Why does he always do this? Why do I always do this? Why can't he just force me to accept his help?' she thought as she returned to trying to get the chopsticks to work in her left hand. With her frustration built up and Asuka's trademark short temper, she soon grew tired of trying to eat with the chopsticks. Asuka grunts as she pushes the instant box to the other edge of the table and throws the chopsticks at the box.

Shinji hears her grunt and then sees the chopsticks fly at the box. He sighs inwardly and makes a decision to help her whether she liked it or not. He walked over to the table and picked up the chopsticks and box, and brought them around the table to the other side where Asuka was. She seemed oblivious of his movements as she stared at her hand, her face switching from pain to anger periodically. Shinji thought of just forgetting his resolution and running back to his room. The voice telling him to do that was rather loud, but he was able to shove it down and continue. He took a good amount of noodles in the chopsticks and with a slight pause, moved them slowly in front of Asuka.

Asuka looked over to find the source of the sudden invasion of her face, but blushed to see Shinji holding her own gaze, just barely she could tell, but he was holding it. 'Will wonders never cease?' she thought and a retort filled with venom found its way coming up her throat, but she quickly fought it back by taking the noodles into her mouth. Her eyes lit up with pleasure as the blend of spices touched her tongue as the exquisite taste Shinji had some how produced out of this sludge came to her. Shinji smiled at this and reached into the box for another serving of the noodles...

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=== The next morning in Misato Katsuragi's apartment ===

Shinji's eyes cracked open, accompanied by a groan from his mouth.

"Ughhh..." Shinji turned over to look at the alarm clock, " Five Twenty Eight? Uggghhh..." Shinji forced himself up after seeing the time. 'I didn't make our lunches last night...' he thought with a small smile. "She actually thanked me..."

*-*-* FLASHBACK *-*-*

Shinji had just finished feeding the last of the noodles to Asuka.

"That's all Asuka," Shinji said as he got up. "You can go to bed, I'll clean up in here."

"That was really good Shinji," Asuka said patting her tummy, "how'd you make Misato's instant crap taste so good?"

"Now that," Shinji said holding up his index finger and winking, "is a secret!"

((-- Author's note: That's to all the Xellos fans out there ;) --))

Asuka started to walk to her room, but stopped as she reached the hall.

"Shinji?" she said without any trace over her usual confident overtones. "Shinji…I..I..wanted to…" she found the words difficult to say. 'Come on Asuka, it's two simple words! Just say it and get it over with!' "I......" her face suddenly gained a determined look, "thank you Shinji."

Shinji's mind's eye only saw the flashing figure of 0:00:00. His brain temporarily shut down then began a slow reboot.

"Y-Your welcome Asuka," he managed to say without too much folly.

*-*-* END FLASHBACK *-*-*

Shinji got up and groggily put on his usual school attire now that it was Monday. 'Maybe if I get everything done earlier, those two won't tease me...' he mused, 'then again, probably not…' he thought with a small laugh.

Shinji stepped outside of his room and stretched his arms in the air.

"Mmmmmm...huh? What's that smell?"

Shinji followed the scent to the kitchen where he saw something cooking on the stove, although no one was in sight.

"Ummm? Misato? Asuka?" Shinji asked timidly.

"Oh Shinji, is that you?" a very male voice answered.

"Uh……Andrew? Is it you?" Shinji questioned.

"That'd be my name, Shinji Ikari," Andrew said as he came into view. He was setting the table with plates and some silverware, which was rarely used in the Katsuragi household. "What can I do for you?"

"Umm…not that I mind having a breakfast prepared for me, but...why?"

"Why not? I figured Katsuragi would be in too much of a hangover to make you breakfast…" Andrew shrugged, "so I thought that since I'm now officially your other guardian, I might as well come over."

"Well, Misato never makes food for us anyway, either she forgets when it's her turn and I make it, or we don't eat," Shinji replied with a slight bit of irritation directed towards Misato.

"Then Asuka must clean the place?" Andrew inquired while flipping the bacon over on his pan.

"No…I kinda do that too…." sighed Shinji.

"Hmmmm," Andrew pondered as he seemingly took into account all the information he had just been relayed from Shinji. "Well, Shinji Ikari, from now on, I'll help you keep this place in order...and keep those girls of yours in check," he added with a wink.

Shinji blushed and nodded a thank you to him.

A few minutes later Andrew came to the table with two plates filled with eggs, bacon and hash browns. Shinji was not adept at eating in Western fashion and waited to see how Andrew ate until he started. Seeing him using the fork to eat the eggs, he copied so and decided they needed some salt from the shaker that Andrew had set out on the table. Then he used the fork to try the hash browns and decided that they were very good tasting and finished them off first. Then after trying the bacon, Shinji devoured it much to the amusement of one Agent Langley.

After both were finished it was 5:40 and Shinji informed Andrew that neither Misato nor Asuka got up until at least 6:40.

"Well, then I guess we have an hour or so to kill," Andrew said matter-of-factly. Then his eyes narrowed on some indiscriminant point, thinking about what to do. A thought donned on him.

"Hey Shinji? You like music?"

"Yeah, I guess so...why?"

"Hmmm..." Andrew said, wondering aloud, "I'll be right back, ok?"

"Uhh ok?" Shinji said, wondering what Andrew is doing.

Andrew walks out of the apartment and returns a couple minutes later carrying a small case.

"You play?" Shinji asked pointing at Andrew questioningly.

"Yeah..." he answered, "that surprises you?"

"Well, I didn't think that a secret agent would really like to play music..."

"It started out as something my parents forced me into, but I grew to really like it," Andrew explained.

"Same with me..." Shinji said, "I understand completely, I started playing and because no one ever told me to stop, I kept on doing it and now I like to play."

"Then you and I are the same in that respect," Andrew smiled, "a good thing...want to do a duet?"

"I don't know many," Shinji said, "I'm so used to playing alone that I never bothered to..."

"Bah! We'll give it a try, ok?" Andrew smiled reassuringly to Shinji.

"A-Alright," Shinji said a little enthusiastically, "but I'm really not that good..."

"I'LL be the judge of THAT, Third Child," a certain energetic, red haired German sounded out.

"W-What a-are you doing u-up Asuka?" Shinji's voice cracked in the fear of his torturer.

"What? Isn't a girl allowed to get up early in the morning?" Asuka questioned, her eyes narrowing.

"...some need more beauty sleep than others..." Shinji muttered under his breath.

"WHAT WAS THAT!?!" Asuka yelled, raising her fist.

"Oh, uh, n-nothing, nothing at all!" Shinji said nervously as he quickly walked toward his room. Leaving the red haired demon to Andrew for a while.

"Want something to eat Asuka?" Andrew asked.

"Uh...sure..." Asuka said slowly, thrown off by Andrew's kindness. 'He's only confronted me so far' she thought, 'why's he being nice so suddenly? He must be up to something...'

Andrew had challenged and veritably defeated Asuka in everything she had thrown at him, including her fist. Andrew smiled warmly at her and then walked over to the stove and put some sausages on the pan and began to cook them with some more eggs. A few minutes later they were cooked and Shinji had come out carrying his cello, which his was currently tuning. Asuka was sitting down at the table, waiting for her promised food.

"Here we are," Andrew said cheerily, "a nice German breakfast." Andrew brought the morning sausages, eggs sunny side up, and hash browns out for her.

"Mein Gott!" she said, taking a fork and biting into the eggs, "these are soooo good!" Asuka ravenously gobbled down the eggs and sausage with has browns and a glass of juice. "You and Shinji cook from now on!"

"It's a basic egg breakfast Asuka," Andrew said while raising an eyebrow, "you have to WORK to make that taste bad"

"Mihato...nd me," Asuka said, stuffing food in her mouth, "cammt cook ta fave our libez."

"(Ack)...I see..." Andrew said, making a comical face of disgust. Andrew walked over to his case with a violin in it and took it out to tune it. Shinji thought it was mystical how he was able to tune it perfectly in one try for all of the strings.

"Well Shinji, what shall we start with?" Andrew said, taking a chair over to where Shinji was sitting.

"Oh, I uh, don't really know…what do you think we should start with?" Shinji asked looking to him.

"Let's see…..it's been a while since I've don a duet too…." Andrew brought his gloved hand to his chin, massaging imaginary stubble. "Aha! You know Beethoven's 9th I presume?"

Shinji smiled and nodded as he took a glance over to Asuka, who was still shoveling food in her mouth. Andrew observed this and smiled to himself. Then Andrew raised his bow and Shinji did the same

as they started moments later. Beginning without much emotion, just going through the notes, then as the song continued, Shinji found himself closing his eyes to concentrate on the notes, he knew he had the back lying notes as his was the cello, but the emotions that the simple, yet incredibly powerful piece evoked came out none-the-less.

Asuka was oblivious to their tuning, but her attention was gained once the beautifully flowing notes began. Something in either how they played or an underlying basis to the song itself made her feel differently inside. She had heard it many times before, so she decided it was because of how it was played…Because HE was playing. She saw both of them had closed their eyes, so she felt it safe to simply stare at Shinji, who was playing differently today than he had been…the other time. The time they had…

Shinji could feel the clouding of his eyes even when they were closed. They were nearing the finish, and he thought he might be able to hold out until then, fearing Asuka making fun of him yet

again. The last notes of the song came in and Shinji took the cue from Andrew to hold the last note for a slightly more dramatic end. When it was over, Shinji looked to Andrew first who looked back to him and gave a thumbs up and shifted his eyes to Asuka, who had sat down in front of Shinji. Shinji followed his gaze to a glass eyed Asuka.

"Shinji….that-that…..that was…." Asuka was unable to find the words to finish.

"Simply the most beautiful thing I've ever heard," a familiar Major filled in.

"Really?" Shinji asked, wiping away a forming tear before it could fall.

Misato noticed Andrew giving her a cock eyed look, then remembered she had only put on a pair of boxers with her bra. Her faced turned red with embarrassment. Andrew merely chuckled and mock saluted Misato. Misato grabbed a Yebisu from the fridge and popped the top, taking a swig.

"YEEEHAAAW! (burp!)" Misato sounded off in her usual morning tone.

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To be continued...

Next Episode: Misconceptions

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Author's Notes: I know that Shinji's first conversation with Andrew mirrored his first meeting with Kaoru, but with Kaoru and Shinji, they almost instantly became friends, and I needed the same effect for him and Andrew. Much more real plot development in the next chapter.

Love n' Pizza

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	3. Chapter 3: Misconceptions

The Revelation of Sacrifice

Chapter 3 – Misconceptions

Based on characters and ideas created by and copyright GAINAX

Reviews/Comments always appreciated

Anything else? Requests? Questions? Contact me at: vicious471@hotmail.com

Guide:

"..." = Speech

'...' = thoughts

(...) = audible sound like a sigh or moan or click

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Neon Genesis Evangelion

(Caption) Misconceptions

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=== Katsuragi Apartment, 9:15 AM ===

"So what do you think of this 'Colonel Langley?" Ritsuko asked.

"He seems alright," Misato answered.

"Appearances can be deceiving Misato," Ritsuko said.

"Yes they can be, can't they," Misato responded sarcastically. This sarcasm caught Ritsuko off guard.

"So what has he been like, Major?" Ritsuko said, intentionally adding Misato's rank in retaliation for the sarcasm.

"Well…" Misato paused, "he's been really kind…Shinji almost immediately took to liking him, but that's completely understandable. But I think it's for more than just the fact that Langley saved his life. He seems to defend Shinji in a true sense of the phrase….not only from physical harm, but Shinji seems to be able to identify with something in Andrew, and vice versa."

"So Agent Langley is another emotional shut-in?"

"No, not at all…that's the part that gets me. He seems to be able to adjust himself to Asuka and Shinji. With Shinji, he is encouraging, but never pushes too hard on him, and he has shut down Asuka's attacks on every occasion," Misato paused, "but he's also been kind to her, almost exactly how she acts toward others, a fluctuating mass of hate and love."

"Interesting…." Ritsuko said, taking notes on her end of the phone. "We're still trying to dig up everything we can on him. The American State Department provided us with all the records they had on him, then we had the Magi hack their system to make sure they weren't withholding information from us…."

"So what were they hiding?" Misato asked.

"That's where we were stumped…they weren't"

"They weren't what? Hiding anything?" Misato asked, genuinely surprised by the information.

"Yes," Ritsuko said, shifting through some papers for a report, "the Magi confirmed that we now have all the recorded information on Andrew Langley at 9:47 last night."

"He was born on December 25, 1986 in Death Valley, California. Parents deceased in Second Impact. The only other information we have are his training records."

"And what do those look like?" Misato questioned.

"Well, I'm afraid the US isn't joking around," Ritsuko said seriously, "they sent us their top agent. He holds every marksmanship record for their nation's services, all completed before he even had three months of training."

"That's impossible!" Misato exclaimed.

"Apparently not," Ritsuko said, flipping a page in her report, "he's operated successfully in 13 missions to destroy terrorist cells in their country, and he rescued Senator McAtherty single-handedly back during the 2009 standoff with religious separatists."

"Sounds like he's pretty DAMN good…." Misato agreed.

"I'll agree with you there Misato," Ritsuko became very serious, "and I'll warn you, I honestly think that if he wanted to do anything in Nerv, that we wouldn't be able to effectively neutralize him without using overwhelming force, and I'm not sure how that would even work."

"Is the commander worried?" Misato asked, suddenly feeling the urge to check the clip in her pistol.

"If he is, he doesn't show it," Ritsuko sighed, "but you know how our ice cold commander is with his emotions…if he even has any."

"…." Misato was silent at the last comment, it seemed to her that it was spoken out of regret, which struck her as odd, "Well, enough about him, what else do you have for me?"

"The Children are-"

"Yeah, they're at school now," Misato said into the phone.

"Alright," Ritsuko answered, "the sync test is scheduled for 4:30 and after that, we'll need to have Shinji for a couple hours more to explain what happened during the twelfth Angel and during the incident afterwards."

"A sync test and interrogation this early!?" Misato shouted at the phone. "As Shinji's legal guardian, I have to object to this in his best interests." Misato answered sternly.

"This is an order from the commander, there's nothing I can do about it," Ritsuko said dryly with a touch of annoyance, "you should know that by now."

"(sigh of disgust)….Yeah, whatever…"

"Listen MAJOR, there are chains of command that have to be followed, no matter what we think," Ritsuko answered harshly. "Now, if you have no further objections, I suggest you repor-"

Misato hung up the phone. She was tired and still had a headache from drinking last night. Andrew had followed the Children to school and she was now alone in the apartment, wondering what to do.

'This is too confusing…' she thought, 'Nerv's keeping so much from us…Kaji…I'll have to talk to him about all this'

Misato got up from her chair at the table and grabbed her trademark jacket, heading out the door to work.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

=== Lunchtime, Shinji's School ===

"Hey Shinji!" Kensuke called out as Shinji and Touji were sitting down at an outside table.

"Hi Kensuke," Shinji answered.

Kensuke bowed as he stopped in front of Shinji.

"Shinji! You've got to tell me!"

"Tell you what?" Shinji asked dumbfounded.

"Tell me what?!" Kensuke asked hysterically, "Tell me who the pilot of Unit 03 is! They're shipping it here in a week from the 2nd Branch in the US. And I even heard that Unit 04 is almost complete and it will be ready in a little under a month!"

Shinji just looked bewildered, as this really was all new information to him.

"Come on Shinji! Are there any pilots chosen!?" Kensuke asked as he got down on his knees and begged to Shinji.

"I…I….I never heard of Unit 03 or 04," Shinji answered with honesty, "I guess they don't tell us pilots these types of things. They probably figure it would make us worry or something."

"Aghhh!" Kensuke grunted, putting his hand to his forehead, "You mean you really don't know!?"

"I'm sorry Kensuke…" Shinji said, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder, "but the next time we go in for sync tests, I'll ask, ok?" Shinji gave a reassuring smile.

"You will? Alright! You're the greatest friend ever Shinji!" Kensuke said, his eyes lighting up with hope.

Shinji chuckled and went back to eating his lunch.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

=== Major Katsuragi's Office, Nerv ===

"Mmmmm," Kaji said with a smile, "so you want to know what Nerv is keeping from us all, eh?"

"Yes," Misato answered with a serious tone, "I want to know about the dummy system, Adam, Lilith…all these things that the commander and Ritsuko are keeping from us. I want to know about all the secrets that Nerv has buried within this facility."

"Then you have chosen your path," Kaji answered, drawing closer to Misato, "the thirst for knowledge is the first step to gaining it."

"So what do we know right now?"

"Well, you probably don't realize it, but I don't know all that much more than you," Kaji said scratching the back of his head, "your position in Nerv is fairly sensitive, so you are privy to a great deal of information, but I do have one little tidbit you might find interesting."

"And that is?"

"Unit 04 will be using a restored S2 engine recovered from the fourth Angel."

"What!?!" Misato said, her eyes growing wide.

"Yes," Kaji said with a touch of sorrow in his voice, "I'm afraid that's why SEELE delegated its construction to the US." Kaji laughed, "They have been raising quite a bit of hell for them with their position in the UN. It may be the governing body of the world now, but the US still has as much influence as it ever has. SEELE knows that Unit 04 is highly dangerous, so if it succeeds, then they will be using up a massive amount of American resources in the process….and if it fails….the US will take a large hit cleaning up the mess."

"A win-win situation for SEELE…" Misato agreed, "what else is there?"

"Well, Unit 03 is being prepped for shipment here…" Kaji grew a serious expression, which startled Misato, "and the Fourth Child will be notified tomorrow…"

"The FOURTH Child?!?!" Misato exclaimed.

"Yes," Kaji said, as he moved behind Misato, who was sitting at her desk. He slyly slid his arms beneath hers and brushed her face with his own.

"You know Kaji…" Misato said seductively.

"Yes?" he answered equally seductively and moved in for a kiss.

Misato moved her hand up to his chin…and grabbed on to one of his long stubble hair with her fingers and yanked, tearing it from its place on his face.

"You really do need to shave your sloppy face!" she added playfully.

"Owww!" Kaji groaned as he rubbed his chin, "I guess I deserved that Katsuragi….but if I deserved that, then…" Kaji slid his hand down her back and pinched her butt, causing Misato to jump in her chair, "…you get that in return!" he finished with a satisfied grin.

Misato was blushing furiously. 'Damn…Shinji's rubbing off on ME now…how ironic' she thought with a giggle.

"I see we've gone back to being seven years old again."

"Yeah….." Misato said nostalgically, "it's nice not to have any cares in the world….I wish the Children could have that much at least…."

"True," Kaji said, leaning in to type on Misato's computer, "but I'm afraid that no one in this world has that luxury anymore." Kaji brought up a screen. "And I'm also afraid that things have just gotten a bit more complicated for our Children…" he said as he typed in some commands. Misato took one look at the screen.

Marduk Institute Report - October 26, 2015

1st Child: Ayanami, Rei – Active

2nd Child: Sohryu, Asuka Langley – Active

3rd Child: Ikari, Shinji – Active

4th Child: Suzuhara, Touji – TBD

"What!?!!?" she exclaimed, "it's him? How could it be!?"

"Yes it is," Kaji said sadly, "Shinji's best friend is the fourth child…but that's not all…"

"What else Kaji?" Misato said seriously.

"From what I've been able to dig up from in Nerv's security files, all of the potential candidates for piloting the Evas in Japan were moved to Shinji's school, so they could be easily tracked and protected." Kaji said as he typed in some more commands and passwords.

"My, my God…just what in the hell is Nerv up to…"

"I'm still trying to figure that one out myself, Katsuragi…"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

=== Shinji's School, 4:30 PM ===

Shinji walks next to Touji and Kensuke as school lets out.

"Hey dummkopf!" the voice of a siren calls out.

"Uh…(gulp)..y-yes…Asuka?" Shinji yelped out.

"Hmmmpfff! Are you going to let a beautiful girl like me walk home alone with all these perverts around just waiting to take advantage of me?" she asked annoyed.

"Asuka, you know you could beat them up better than I ever could," Shinji conceded with a sigh.

"You have no sense of chivalry, you-"

"OH MY GOD!!!!!" Kensuke screamed out, scrambling for his video camera, "it's a US AP-32 ATH-SE Stream Eagle attack and insertion VTOL!!!! Only 6 SE versions were ever made!" he sounded off with his military expertise, loading a disc and immediately recording.

The AP-32 slowly descended, allowing for all the people in the general area to run for cover then stand in shock at the landing military aircraft. The huge black and gray craft touched down nearest to Shinji's group. They could only stare on as the engines died down to a low hum and the door on the side of the VTOL slid open. A dark figure by the name of Andrew Langley stepped out.

"Oh mein Gott, sollte ich es gekannt haben war Sie! Versuchen Sie, über mir im deutschen sheisskopf lustig zumachen!" Asuka said, pointing at Andrew with a venomous grin.

(((Oh my God, I should have known it was you! Try to make fun of me in German shithead!)))

"Sind Sie Stille bitter ungefähr gestern, Asuka? Hmmm, möglicherweise konnten Sie erlernen, einen Witz zusammen mit Shinji hier zu nehmen?" Andrew raised his eyebrows quickly in a cocky fashion and smiled at Asuka.

(((Are you still bitter about yesterday, Asuka? Hmmm, maybe you could learn to take a joke along with Shinji here?)))

Asuka just looked at him in bewilderment and then anger. Shinji looked to Touji, who looked to Kensuke and they all nodded to each other giving lopsided grins.

"Welcome, oh defeater of the red-haired German demon!" Kensuke said, bowing.

"Yeah, any enemy of Asuka's is a friend of ours!" Touji said, stretching out his hand to Andrew. "I think this is what they do in America, right?"

"Right Touji," Andrew said shaking his hand. "And you must be Kensuke Aida, right?" Andrew said, bowing to Kensuke.

"Yes sir!" Kensuke responded, saluting Andrew, "I must be dreaming, or is that an AP-32 ATH-SE?"

"Impressive as ever, Mr. Aida," Andrew said, causing Kensuke to blush and scratch the back of his head, "I'd heard about you, I pulled some strings in Washington and called in a few favors to get this sucker shipped here, ain't she a beaut? You can go check her out while I talk to the kids here for a sec, kay?"

Kensuke's face lit up like the sun and he stuttered some unintelligible words as he ran off to the AP-32 to record as much as he could.

"I guess I should go too," Touji said as he turned around to leave the group. Andrew's left hand went to his chin and his right hand to his left elbow, as he sank into thought.

"Actually Mr. Suzuhara…." Andrew said, moving his left hand down slightly as to not muffle his speech, "I probably shouldn't be doing this, but….oh what the hell, it'll piss Ikari off, and that's enough for me." He finished off with a laugh.

Touji turned around giving a puzzled look to Andrew as were both Shinji and Asuka. And as usual, Rei showed up to observe the dealings of her peers.

"I do not believe you were to inform Pilot Suzuhara of his position, Agent Langley," Rei said coolly.

"Mmmmm…" Andrew wondered, "perhaps you're right, but then, why would this be any fun at all if I had to obey every little order, Rei?"

"I do not think that our positions are required to be entertaining, Colonel," Rei said with a slight emphasis on the word 'required', "We are to do a service, not object to our superiors." She answered his question dryly.

"If that was our purpose, Rei," Andrew responded with sorrow in his voice and in his eyes, "then we would be nothing more than dolls."

Rei was silent, but as Shinji observed, not her usual silence, if that was possible. He saw that she looked down and away from Andrew after his last sentence, as if it had struck, not her body, but her soul with some sort of force.

"Mein Gott, we agree on something, jerkface!" boomed the voice of a German red-head. "What's the fun in life if you always just do exactly as you're told?"

"Quite correct Asuka," Andrew said, smiling at her and then looking down to his watch, "hmmm, we'd better get going…" then he looked at Touji, who had a cock eyed look on his face, wondering what the hell they were talking about, "Oh my God! I got sidetracked by Rei, I'm sorry Touji," Andrew said, smashing his palm against his forehead. "You're going to need to come with us."

"Uhhhh…." Touji looked to Shinji questioningly. Shinji just nodded. "….ok….I guess…." Touji finished shakily.

The 5 of them climbed into the massive beast of a machine, which Kensuke tried to physically attach himself to, and Andrew put its massive VTOL engines into work as it lifted off the ground and flew towards a shaft leading to the GeoFront.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Neon Genesis Evangelion

(Caption) Continued Misconceptions

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

=== Nerv Command Center – Sync & Harmonics Testing Control Room ===

"Why did you bring him here!?" yelled an obviously upset Ritsuko, "he wasn't even supposed to be INFORMED yet!"

"Oh, really Dr. Akagi," Andrew said pleading his case, "it's not like I let an Angel in or anything. He would have been asked on Thursday of this week anyway, right? So what's the-"

"The problem?" Ritsuko cut him off, "the PROBLEM!?! The PROBLEM, is that you disobeyed direct orders-"

"Wait a minute," Andrew returned the favor of cutting her off, "let us not forget who is under who's command. I answer to three people in my current assignment; first and foremost, the President of the United States, second, the Secretary-General of the UN, and third, by special agreement, the President of the Russian Federation. I, however, do NOT answer to Commander Ikari of Nerv, or anyone in the Japanese command structure."

Ritsuko scowled at him, accepting the facts for what they were, then she turned to Touji.

"Well, it's been done…so will you pilot Mr. Suzuhara?" Ritsuko asked in an annoyed tone.

"I…uh…well….uh….guys?" Touji mumbled out as he looked over to Shinji, Asuka and Rei.

"I can't believe another stooge idiot is a candidate…" Asuka mumbled, "there must be some defect in the male gene that makes them able to pilot…"

"Hey!" Shinji said, "are you saying-"

"I'm merely reporting the facts, Third Child…"

'Ughh…I hate it when she does that….I HATE being called the Third Child…..it's what father calls me…I don't want to associate anyone I care about with him……least of all someone…like her…' Shinji thought as he submitted to Asuka's attack and looked down. "Touji, can I give you some advice?"

"O-Of course Shinji" Touji said trying hard to smile, "what else are friends for?" As he said that, Shinji's face darkened slightly as he prepared to respond.

"There's so much pain…y-you can't imagine what it feels like," Shinji's voice was growing in exasperation, "Touji, I don't want to see you get hurt…the Eva…I…already hurt someone….and-"

Touji was just shaking his head as he walked toward Shinji, then when he got to Shinji, he put his left hand on his shoulder than rammed his right fist into Shinji's head. Security tensed, Misato and Asuka had looks of amazement on their faces, Andrew narrowed his eyes, and shifted his weight onto another leg, and Rei of course, being herself, looked down to Shinji with a look of bewilderment.

"Damnit Ikari!" Touji yelled, "what the hell is wrong with you, you bring this up even though I thought we settled it."

"Touji…" Shinji said, shrinking into his spineless mode.

"What?" Touji responded forcefully, "What is it? 'Cause if it isn't important, shut up and listen to me." Touji paused, waiting for a response and got none, "Okay, now; 1. This is an opportunity for me to

get revenge on the ANGELS that caused that accident with my little sister. 2. it's an opportunity to help you guys out so I don't have to worry about my best friend dying out there protecting my ass and thinking about how there was nothing I could do to help him. And 3," Touji laughed, "it's going to drive Kensuke crazy" he added with a grin.

The contents of the command center were still in shock until a quiet, calm voice broke the silence.

"Are you alright Pilot Ikari?" Rei asked.

"Yeah….I'm fine," Shinji said with a defeated sigh. He looked up to see Rei stretching out her hand, "thanks Rei," he replied, mustering a small smile as he took her hand. 'Her hand feels nice…it's warm' he thought 'just like that time…' Shinji briefly reflected on the incident in Rei's apartment, how it now seemed almost comical.

Rei mindlessly slipped her red school uniform ribbon off and folded it into a small handkerchief. She took it and dabbed at the small amount of blood in the corner of Shinji's mouth.

Asuka snapped to attention seeing Rei walk over and help Shinji. Her mind sighed as she realized she had missed another opportunity to genuinely show Shinji she didn't hate him. She had to make fun of him, and put him down, and after all it was just constructive criticism right? It didn't really mean anything to her, it was just how she was supposed to act toward him. It had been like that almost since the moment they had met. But then again, so had the feelings she had now developed for him. Asuka didn't fully realize it at first, but Shinji really was a cute boy, so she had had some thoughts on him on a first impression. But their work had made her realize that she was thinking of him more and more beyond a simple crush, and yet it wasn't how she thought about Kaji, which constantly puzzled her. And despite her feelings, Asuka wouldn't allow herself to show them, because then she would allow another to get far too close to her, someone who could very easily leave her behind…and for that Wondergirl… That was what angered Asuka about Shinji, while she realized that she wouldn't allow herself to have him, that meant that no one else should get to either, which was the real cause of all her viciousness. Rei would get him anyway, since he seemed so happy and comfortable around her…and that angered Asuka even more. Shinji seemed both nervous and happy around Rei, but now he just seemed to feel annoyance and tiredness around Asuka. Worse still, she realized, that Andrew's influence on Shinji, which was inevitable now, would make him grow a spine! Then what would she do when he started fighting back? What if he learned to tear her apart piece by piece in every situation like Andrew had thus far. What if…what if…what if he broke her down? What if he was as cruel to her as she had been to him all this time……What if…he didn't…

"Asuka!" Misato practically screamed in Asuka's ear, "where the hell has your mind been?"

"Oh…uh…" Asuka looked around at concerned faces, which were all pointed at her, "guess I…uh…I was just thinking about how badly the Angels are gonna get beat with another pilot and Eva! Yeah!" she finished with a triumphant shout and stormed into the girls locker room with her proudest stride.

Meanwhile, eyebrows around the room went up.

"Ummm, did she just…" Misato lost words in her bafflement.

"-sound excited that Touji was a pilot?" Andrew finished for her.

"Interesting…" Ritsuko said, tapping away at a keyboard while she said so, "we'll see how this new attitude adjustment affects her sync ratio…and how it affects the Katsuragi nuclear family" she added with a sarcastic chuckle.

"Very funny Ritsuko," Misato said sarcastically.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

=== Nerv Command Center – Girls Locker Room ===

'What the hell was I doing back there?' Asuka thought.

"Do you approve of pilot Suzuhara's selection?" Rei asked.

"What?! Of course not!" Asuka said defensively, "they just added another STOOGE to our team! The only way the world could be ANY crazier is if Kensuke was a pilot candidate!"

"Then, you lied, earlier…" Rei said, pausing to gather the correct words, "…to…cover…your true thoughts with fabricated ones?"

"That," Asuka said, pulling her shirt off, "has to be the dullest explanation I've ever heard." She turned to Rei, "But I guess it's right," she conceded.

"Why?" Rei asked.

"Why what?" Asuka said indignantly.

"Why…did you lie?" Rei reiterated.

"Why!?" Asuka sounded shocked, "Well, because if I said the truth…" she sighed, "it would have been embarrassing."

"So…lies are created…to avoid embarrassment? Or pain?" Rei said in more a statement than a question.

"I guess so…" Asuka said, looking at her red plug suit, "…Oh why in the hell am I talking to you anyway, doll!"

"Excuse me," Rei said apologetically, "I did not mean any offense, Pilot Sohryu."

"UGGGHHH!!! You're acting like HIM now!" Asuka said throwing her hands in the air, "Apologizing for no reason at all. At least I could handle a Wondergirl, but noooo, now I have to have an apologizing wimp and an apologizing doll!" Asuka's voice was edging toward cracking as she went on, "You two are just SO perfect for each other. FINE! Like I care anyway!" Asuka grunted something in German as she slammed the metal door of her locker, deforming it, and storming out of the room in her loose plug suit. She didn't hear Rei's warning that she had not tightened her suit, the anger was both blinding and deafening.

Asuka strode outside, not paying attention to the trouble her legs were having while walking. She didn't notice the shocked expressions on the lab techs' faces. Then she got to the front of the Sync & Harmonics testing plugs, where Shinji and Touji were talking. Of course, their speech degraded to nothingness as she came in.

"What're you looking at sheisskopf?!?!" she angrily yelled at Shinji and Touji.

Shinji was the first to snap to his senses, due to the fear of the wrath sure to come any second. He thought fast and quickly spun Touji around, holding him by his shoulder as he turned around as well, both their faces were redder than Asuka's plug suit could ever hope to be.

"I…uh…um…A-Asuka…your…uh…y-your p-p-plug suit," Shinji's voice squeaked out, full of tripped up sounds and cracks in his voice.

Possibly the best way to accurately define the Second Child's Reaction would be to imagine the simultaneous detonation of all munitions on the planet, from the lowly 9mm rounds to the monstrous ICBMs sitting in American and Russian silos. That would maybe, just maybe cover the explosion of anger, embarrassment, shock and extensive array of other emotions that Asuka so graciously let the world know with a single, drawn out scream/yell/cry. Maybe. But that faded away (after a few minutes) and Asuka entered a catatonic state of shock. She merely pushed the button on her wrist to snug up the suit, then walked over to a nearby chair and sat down. She slouched and lowered her head until it was almost between her legs…but no sobs came.

That last point was the one that bothered Shinji. Asuka had just walked away. No slap, no lecture on how perverted the boys were. No retaliation, no venting of anger, nothing but that one drawn out yell.

Shinji's mind was torn on what to do, a large part of him wanted to go over to her and try to comfort her despite the fact that she would hate him for it. Although an equally large part of him wanted to stay put and let her feel pain and sorrow for once, some sort of revenge for all the teasing, the hitting the annoying, the arrogance, everything that she had forced upon him since they had met. 'What has she ever done for me?' Shinji thought, 'Nothing. Has she ever comforted me when I was in pain? No. Rei, for all the personality she had, at least made that attempt.' That was when Rei walked into the boarding area, with Ritsuko and Misato in tow. Andrew was walking a bit ahead of Rei.

"What is going on here, why haven't you gotten into the plugs yet?" Ritsuko asked with impatience.

"Uhhhmmm…" Shinji and Touji tried to find words simultaneously.

"You…uh…might wanna wait for these tests or whatever they are," Touji, indicating for them to come over.

"What is it?" Ritsuko asked sharply, her foot tapping on the ground. Touji whispered something in Ritsuko's ear that made her eyes go wide for a moment, before she regained her usual scientific aura.

"Hmmm…the tests are postponed for half an hour…" Ritsuko said turning her head around for all to hear. "Misato."

"Yeah," Misato said, tentative to leave the four pilots alone. "Andrew," she whispered as she grabbed his coat collar, "don't you DARE let anything happen while I'm gone."

"Misato," he said wrapping his hands around the one she had gripped to his coat, causing her to immediately relax her iron grip at the sudden touch, "you KNOW I wouldn't let anything bad happen," he said in a forceful, yet soothing tone.

Misato just met his gaze for a moment in silence, then walked off at yet another call from Ritsuko.

Andrew looked on as Misato's form disappeared behind a door.

"Misato Katsuragi…" Andrew said quietly, "she's impressive, I'll give her that right now…" then he turned to see Shinji and Touji standing far away from Asuka and sighed inwardly…he had his work cut out for him. 'Man, why do I always try and do it all alone?'

Rei was standing quietly a few feet away, and since she was with Asuka in the locker room, Andrew decided to talk to her. Rei related the story with frightening detail. She had memorized the entire conversation and told it with a cold edge to her voice.

'My goodness,' Andrew thought, 'is that…animosity?…that I'm detecting from her? Who woulda thunk it?' Andrew was more than a little surprised that Rei was showing an unusual amount of emotion in her story, and he almost burst out of his calm interrogator mode when Rei's eyes flared and her lip curled for a very brief moment at the part where Asuka had talked about her and Shinji being alike.

"And so you tried to tell her about her…uh…" Andrew asked searching for a correct word.

"Yes, I attempted to do so," Rei said complacently.

"Mmm-hmmm…" Andrew diverted his eyes slightly upward thoughtfully, "…thank you Rei, you've helped me quite a bit here," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "but you do-"

"Yes, I do," Rei said, cutting him off.

"Well," Andrew said, "that's good for you," he said, smiling at her and patting her shoulder once.

It was Rei's turn to be surprised. Her brow raised and her eyes ever so slightly widened. For some reason, she found those words very, VERY prodding to her. She knew them, and yet had no idea why. She stood quietly in place, contemplating how she knew these words, and why they held such an impact on her.

Andrew left Rei and walked to Asuka and he saw Shinji visibly cringe at his approach to her.

"Go…away…" Asuka said in a low and deadly voice.

"Asuka, I won't kid around this time…" Andrew said in a noticeably serious tone, "but if that is what you wish, I will comply right now…but I tell you that another will come in my stead…someone that you may not wish to face right now."

"No…you wouldn't make me…face him…not now…" Asuka's voice grew in desperation with each syllable, "no…please…a-anything but that…" Asuka looked up and Andrew noticed the pathetic look on her face, the sorrow in his heart for her was apparent in his face. "No…you would wouldn't you …bastard."

"I swore to protect you Children," Andrew began, "even if that means protecting you from your own damn stupidity, Asuka."

Asuka's face briefly changed to one of shock, then she returned to a neutral state and her head sank back down. Andrew sighed quietly and then turned to Shinji. He pointed to him and Shinji got the message, Touji followed about half way, where Andrew had walked to. Shinji continued on to meet Asuka, his feet seemingly growing in weight the closer he got.

"You see it too, right?" Touji asked, looking to Andrew.

"Hmmm?" Andrew cocked his head questioningly.

"You know exactly what I mean," Touji responded, growing a small smile, "the newlyweds…Shinji and Asuka."

Andrew chuckled. 'So it was obvious to everyone but those two eh?' he thought. "I'm taking it that everyone else sees it as well?"

"Are you kidding?" Touji said, "of course they do, I think those two boneheads know it too, but they're just too stubborn to admit it."

"Asuka COULD be stubborn, but…" Andrew paused, "well, they don't realize it, but those two have something completely unique in common. Something no one else in the world has experienced, and probably never will ever again. I believe that is what is keeping them apart…the fact that they can't cope with this common bond they both have, and that they don't realize the other is in the same situation."

"Yeah, you lost me around 'but…' " Touji said flatly.

"Eh…just the fact that you realize it makes you understand much more than you know," Andrew said, then his face gained a wry smile, "now that you mention it though, it's sort of like…you and Ms. Horaki?"

"Ihavenoideawhatyou'retalkingabout,"

"Sure you don't," Andrew smiled to him, his eyes narrowing mockingly.

Meanwhile, Shinji walked over to Asuka and sat down next to her in silence. Asuka gave no recognition of his presence as Shinji breathed tensely. Shinji just sat there looking at the girl he had been living with for the past months, but someone who he knew more about than most other people, and yet, someone he also knew very little about. There's was an odd relationship, two people shunned from the world, one for her fiery and arrogant attitude and the other for his meek and spineless attitude. Polar opposites on first comparison, yet they have an underlying likeness that one must look very hard for.

Shinji thought that it might be a good idea to make a whole big joke about it like Asuka always seemed to do to him. She seemed so good at situations like this to Shinji. She always knew what to do and when to do it. He always bumbled through anything he even had the courage to face. But this was truly hard. He was more scared now than he was when he was inside the twelfth Angel. This didn't strike him as odd, because at least he knew what the Angel wanted to do to him at that moment, but right now, Asuka was being very unlike herself…something Shinji didn't know how to handle. As the minutes passed between them with nothing happening, Shinji slipped into thought as he glanced up at Andrew and Touji talking, then back down to the floor, assuming almost the same position as Asuka.

'Hmph,' Shinji thought, looking at Asuka, 'you really are just a kid like me.' Then the thought began to formulate in his mind. 'Is she really just like me?' he thought, 'No, not the Asuka I know, she's a loud, arrogant, self-serving, egotistical, immature bitch and she, and everyone else, knows it. Me most of all…' He gained a determined look on his face and he sat up.

"Asuka," it wasn't a question, but a command for attention. If she had not been in another room, Misato would have audibly gasped. She was watching this all on security monitors with Ritsuko in the control center.

Asuka looked up dryly at him, with narrowed eyes. Her expression blank and without the usual fire in her cheeks, her lips…her hair even seemed to be dulled. This stalled Shinji for a little, his mind getting caught up in her still admirable beauty. Even Misato would have to admit that Asuka was growing up to be a very beautiful and well figured woman, if lacking in the element of elegance (though wasn't Misato in the same position?).

"…" Shinji's face stiffened, "What the hell are you moping about Asuka?!" Shinji yelled, to nearly everyone's surprise. Misato was dropped to the floor. "You always say you hate the way I act, you stupid hypocrite!" Shinji was growing out of control of himself. Now, it was the strength that resided within him that was in control. The flurry of emotions he had been experiencing unlocked the same person inside of him that brought out the true power of Unit 01. Shinji poked Asuka's shoulder, kindling a fire within her. "Well Asuka?!" Shinji's eyes were beginning the action of watering and his voice was on the verge of cracking. "You're just a kid like me! You're no better!" Whatever Shinji was attempting, it was definitely resurrecting Asuka's attitude, her teeth clenched and her hands went into fists.

"Mmmm….this should be interesting…" Andrew said quietly to Touji, who was staring at the newly grown spine Shinji was showing.

"You perverted idiot!" Asuka stepped forward, closing onto Shinji, but he didn't back down, "you stooges gawked at my young and innocent body!"

"And who's fault is that, Asuka?"

…

!!! (SMACK) !!!

"What in the hell would you know anyway you PERVERT!!!"

Touji cringed away from the sound of the smack, knowing that that wasn't one of the regular slaps Shinji received. Asuka's emotions resonated in the air along with the pulsing feeling that Touji could feel within his own cheek, despite not being hit. His eyes opened to see Rei. Her fists clenched at her sides, her mind obviously fighting to restrain the body…and fighting a losing battle. Even from across the room, both Touji and Andrew could see and feel the fury in Rei…an emotion one would not normally associate with her. Suddenly her body relaxed and her emotion receded to one of surprise, yet again a shocking development to the two onlookers, who followed her gaze across the room to Shinji…who was mustering a smile.

Shinji took his hand away from his cheek where it had instinctively gone, and barely responded to the streaked spots of blood. Shinji looked down thoughtfully at them as Misato burst into the room from a full sprint.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Misato exclaimed, angrily glaring at Shinji and Asuka.

"It's all HIS fault!" Asuka said maliciously, pointing to Shinji, "the stupid - "

"It's both your faults!" Misato said, her teeth seething. "Damnit why can't you ever understand that Asuka?! Oh, and don't think you're off the hook mister!" she added turning her eyes to Shinji, "you picked one helluva time to show some backbone Shinji…" Misato sighed and started to walk back to the control deck, "get yourself cleaned up Shinji, then we're proceeding with the tests," all the pilots, even Rei, were beginning to formulate a response in their mouth to protest that last piece of information, but Misato stopped them cold without turning around, "and that is a DIRECT ORDER from the COMMANDER," she said sternly.

Andrew glanced at Rei, who was coming up behind Shinji with a small container, 'probably First Aid' he thought, 'oh crap…here it comes again…' and he decided the best course of action would be to get Touji and himself out of the vicinity of these three pilots.

"Touji…?" Andrew said expectantly as he began to stroll calmly away.

"Yeah…" Touji said taking the cue to get out from the Agent.

Shinji and Asuka had turned away from each other and Shinji found himself facing Rei, who was taking some items out of a small box with a red cross on it.

"Allow me to assist, Ikari," Rei said as she took a cleaning pad out and applied it to Shinji's cut cheek. Shinji's teeth seethed from the cleansing alcohol. "I'm sorry," Rei said quietly as she removed the pad. She took a small dry cloth from the kit and dabbed it on Shinji's cheek with great care, taking up the blood from his skin. That's when Asuka turned around.

Asuka had been going over everything from the moment she entered the girls locker room up until the point where she slapped Shinji. Especially the part where she had slapped Shinji. His blood, his life essence, was on her fingers. She looked at them oddly. 'Why do we always do this?' she thought, 'It always ends up like this…silence…then yelling…then hitting…then this, this horrible feeling…this…regret? It eats away at me…to my soul, but why? It's always like this…and always only with him…' Then Asuka turned to try and form an apology.

"Thanks a lot Rei," Shinji said sincerely with a warm smile, "that's the second time today."

"It is not any trouble Pilot Ikari," Rei said, turning away and paying attention to the kit to hide her blush.

"Rei?" Shinji said looking thoughtful, "Could you call me, uh, Shinji…it's embarrassing, I guess…" Shinji said scratching the back of his head as he blushed.

"A-Alright……Shinji…" Rei stumbled through the sentence oddly for one of the few times in her life.

"Thanks," Shinji said as he continued his beaming smile.

"…just so perfect together…" Asuka muttered in a sarcastic and almost psychotically annoyed tone, "…he says that and she does that, they're just the cutest little homebodies…hip hurray, the two freaks got together!" her voice grew in emotion and volume. "Look at that fucked up little girl over there! She's all alone, she's pathetic, she can't do anything as good as the Wonder Kids over there!" Asuka's voice was beginning to mingle with choked up tears, "Well that's just fine!" she finished with a violent edge. Asuka growled and threw her fist into the wall near her. She marched to the entrance to her test plug, screaming for it to be opened. Apparently the control room had been watching, for as she neared it, the door opened upon command and closed behind her.

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=== Nerv Command Center – Sync & Harmonics Testing Control Room ===

"Very interesting…" Andrew whispered to himself as he watched the satisfied, and almost evil, smile on her face dissipate as she and Shinji got up and walked to their respective plugs. Misato nodded to Touji that it was safe for him to go in now and he did so.

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To be continued...

Next Episode: Betrayal / Deliverance

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Author's Notes: I'm not very confident about this chapter, so please review if you can. I will most likely revise this chapter if enough reviewers say to do so. As always, thanks a bunch.

Love n' Pizza

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	4. Chapter 4: Blossoms

The Revelation of Sacrifice

Chapter 4 – Blossoms / Defiance

Based on characters and ideas created by and copyright GAINAX

Reviews/Comments always appreciated

Anything else? Requests? Questions? Contact me at: vicious471@hotmail.com

Guide:

"..." = Speech

'...' = thoughts

(...) = audible sound like a sigh or moan or click

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Neon Genesis Evangelion

(Caption) Blossoms

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=== Katsuragi Apartment ===

" 'Sync ratio at 37%, that's worse than Shinji's first battle Asuka!' " Asuka said mimicking Ritsuko's voice, "(growl) It's all your fault Shinji!" was all the red haired girl said as she slammed the door to her room.

"W…" Shinji paused, confused, "W-What are you talking about? How is this all my fault Asuka!?" Shinji went to his own room and shut the door forcefully, but nowhere near as hard as Asuka had.

Andrew and Misato turned their heads to face each other and collectively sighed.

"I'll take Shinji, you take Asuka?" Andrew said questioningly.

"No, you take Asuka, I'll get Shinji…you didn't exactly get off on a good foot with Asuka, but I really don't think she hates you, and I haven't been spending as much time with Shinji as I should." Misato explained. Andrew scratched his chin while thinking.

"Ingenious, simply ingenious Major," Andrew said smiling to her.

(WHACK)

"Ooowwww!" Andrew howled mockingly, "What was that for?" Andrew said looking hurt to Misato and rubbing the shoulder that she just jabbed at.

"It's Misato dummy," she said giving him a goofy smile, "and don't you forget it!"

"Hmmm, now I see why Kaji was the only one who could handle you," Andrew whispered quietly to himself while massaging the forming bruise on his arm.

"What was that?" Misato said, turning to him with a slight tic in her left eyebrow and preparing to roll up her sleeves for an attack.

"I…uh…" Andrew stuttered for a moment, "umm nothing, Nothing at all," he finished with a giant, 'don't you believe me? / please don't hurt me!' smile.

"Uh-huh, that's what I thought!" Misato said sternly, but she quickly faded back to her sunshine attitude. As they had a beer each and then decided that they had let the initial angers settle down a little for both Asuka and Shinji. They could not have been any farther off the mark.

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=== Asuka's Room ===

(knocking)

"Go away…" Asuka said with a dangerous edge.

Andrew sighed and paused. Then he looked down at the silver cross hanging from the chain around his neck. He crossed himself and then opened the door to the young girl's room.

"I said…" Asuka's voice trailed as she saw the look on Andrew's face. It was one of true sorrow and pity. "You…" Asuka growled out. She got up from her position of laying on the bed. Asuka stalked over to him and he shut the door behind him. She wound up and let her fist fly into his face, he made no move to counteract the attack. Did she ever feel satisfied when the hit connected…but it quickly went away when she saw that his face was unchanged, he hadn't flinched, not even a tiny ripple of he hit had had an effect on him. This only made her angrier. She wound up again and aimed for his gut, connecting, and yet again causing no damage to him. No reaction, no change in position, not even his eyes moved. The fire was fueled. She unleashed another swing, then another, then another, and so on and so forth. But now, every time she hit him, a piece of her rage slipped away, as if his rock hard body had absorbed it. Her hits grew weaker until she was only slightly pounding away at his chest, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Had enough?" Andrew smiled down to her, not a cocky smile, but one of genuine affection. Asuka responded with a choked up 'yes'. Andrew wrapped her up with his arms in a tight embrace.

'Mmmmm, this is nice,' Asuka thought as she was felt the sudden warmth emanating from his body. 'So warm…' then she came to her senses, 'wait a second! I hate this guy! Why am I hugging him? All he's done is make fun of me, in fact, they're probably all outside waiting to see me crying like a big baby! Damn him!' and with that last thought, she pushed away from him, trying to wipe away the streaks on her cheeks left by the tears.

"That's ok…" Andrew said slowly, then paused searching for the right words, "…want to talk?" he put it simply.

"This is a joke right?" Asuka said, her sarcastic attitude coming back, "You're just making fun of me, so get out."

"Asuka…listen, I know exactly what you are feeling like right now, so ju-"

"Oh shove it!" Asuka cut him off spitefully, "You have no clue what in the hell I'm-"

"Do you ever listen to yourself?" Andrew said, cutting her off forcefully, "God, you really are stupid for someone who has graduated college," Andrew shot back. "It's so pathetic, I'd almost pity you," he said pausing for an effect, "but then what would you think of me? I'll tell you, you'd hate me even more than you do now! So no matter what, I hit a brick wall. You hate those weaker than you because they can't stand against you, like Shinji. You hate those who are equal to you, and compete for everything with them, like Rei…" Andrew paused, gaining a glint of a smile, "and you despise those superior to you, because you believe yourself to be the best at everything." Andrew was satisfied with the assault that had just broken Asuka down to something much easier to deal with. "Now what do you have to say?"

Asuka scowled at him.

"Whatever," he said, then a devilishly interesting thought came into his head. 'That WOULD be interesting, wouldn't it?'…"Asuka, Shinji is in love with you." he stated quite matter-of-factly.

Asuka's reaction was, simply put, priceless. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, her mouth cracked open to the slightest, almost undetectable smile, and a single tear rolled down from her right eye, which she quickly wiped away, trying to hide its appearance from his watchful eye.

"Th-That jerk! How could he even think th-that he could fall in love with me!"

It had worked, a simple reassurance, was slowly bringing the Asuka of old back to the living world.

"But I can't really blame him," Asuka said, flipping her hair over her right shoulder, "I mean, I AM Asuka Langley Sohryu, how could anyone possibly resist my charms…" Andrew could barely hide a massive bolt of laughter caused by that last part. "Don't you even dare THINK about it, mister," Asuka said with a death edge to her voice.

"About what?" Andrew pleaded innocently, throwing his hands out, mockingly pretending not knowing a thing about what she was talking about.

"B-But are you sure he's in love with me?" Asuka asked without he usual cockiness, and scolded herself for stuttering.

"Oh I dunno, maybe fifty-fifty with Rei," Andrew grinned wryly to her as he said it.

"WWWHHHAAAATTT!?!!?!?" Asuka practically screamed out loud, "with WONDERGIRL!!?! That stupid little spineless piece of worthless…" she trailed off into unintelligible words and grunts.

"…Gotcha…" Andrew said, his grin widening. With that, Asuka stopped cold and just stared at him. He just chuckled as he walked off with a 'my work here is done' attitude and smile.

"Don't you dare go telling him he means a damn single thing to me!!!" Asuka yelled half-heartedly to Andrew as he opened the door, "Cuz, cuz he doesn't!!!"

"Of course, I wouldn't want to incur the wrath of the almighty Asuka Langley Sohryu, now would I?" he said, giving her a smile and a mocking two finger boy scout salute.

"Damn straight," Asuka said, gaining her superior resolve once again.

Andrew just chuckled a little as he closed the door behind him and let out a small sigh of relief.

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=== Shinji's Room ===

Misato waited carefully to gather her thoughts before coming into the room. She decided to just skip knocking, knowing he would just pretend to have fallen asleep.

"Shinji," Misato said softly, "I'm coming in…"

"No…please go away, Misato…" Shinji said with pain in his voice.

"I won't Shinji," Misato said, confirming to herself that she needed to be forceful with him for once. "We need to talk, you can't just run away from everything."

"I know Misato…but…" Shinji said trying to find an excuse.

"But what? But it hurts? But it isn't easy? Both are true Shinji," she said, showing the more profound side of herself. "And that means that it will be even harder for you to face things, because you've only run away…but you have to Shinji, you can't keep running anymore, too many of us want you to stay."

"Yeah right, no one really cares about me…you all just like me because I can pilot Eva…and Asuka only hates me more for it…"

"Stop it Shinji!" Misato yelled at him, losing control of herself, "You know how hard it is to try and be there for a teenage boy and girl who aren't even you're real kids? Well, I've tried-"

"You're aren't my mother…" Shinji retorted with a small amount of disgust in his voice.

"I know that, but-"

"Then stop trying to act like it," Shinji said indignantly, turning on his bed to face more away from Misato.

That one hurt, Misato wouldn't deny it. It had cut to the bone…no, beyond that. It went to her heart. She loved Shinji and Asuka just as much as any mother could. She knew she tried, but she relinquished to the fact that she was not nearly around enough to constitute a mother figure for them, and she wasn't exactly a great example for a parent either.

"I know that Shinji," Misato said, her voice cracking with the formation of tears in her eyes, "but I…I…I love you Shinji," she finally squeaked out, "and Asuka too…I don't want anything to happen to you two, or Rei either, or Touji, or Kensuke, or anyone! But most of all, Shinji, I don't want anything to happen to you…you were the first REAL friend I've had in life since…well since a long time ago…"

Shinji looked over to Misato who knelt down next to his bed. She was on the verge of crying and was giving a massive effort to not do so in front of him.

"I just want everything to be alright, I don't want you two to fight and hate each other…" Misato cracked out.

"…Misato…" Shinji said, "I…I'm sorry…it's all my fault, if I wouldn't have tried to do anything with Asuka back at NERV, I wouldn't have made her mad…then she got so mad at Rei helping me, then she had the lowest sync ratio except for Touji, and, and-" Shinji was now on the verge of crying himself.

"Look at us, huh?" Misato said, smiling as she wiped a tear away from Shinji's eyes, "A couple of crybabies who are supposed to protect the whole world!" she added with a laugh, which caused even Shinji to break from his seriousness.

"…I'm sorry Misato…" he said, getting serious again, "you're my guardian, so you have to act like my mother sometimes…I had…I had no right to snap at you…I'm sorry…"

"Hmmmm," Misato raised a curious and annoyed eyebrow at him, which caused him to darken and become even more ashamed of what he had said, but she couldn't last and exploded into the usual bunch of giggles one could expect from Misato. Shinji couldn't understand at first and had a blank expression on his face, but then she tickled him and he started to laugh with her.

"You were getting way too serious there Shinji," Misato said playfully, "Sorry, but I had to break that right up! Katruragi personal code! No serious stuff for too long in this house!" she said making mock gestures of commands. Silence fell over them for a few moments.

"Misato?" Shinji asked.

"Yes. Shinji?" Misato asked back.

"Th-Thank you," Shinji said blushing.

"Hmmm?" Misato raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"You…just…help a lot, I guess…I dunno how to say it…" Shinji said blushing and turning away from her. Misato walked over to Shinji and wrapped herself around him, giving him a nice warm embrace.

"You're welcome Shinji," she said happily before backing away to the door and was about to exit, but turned back, winking and giving a playful warning sign with her fingers, "Just keep your pants on, you little Casanova," she said while giggling.

"Wha…What's that supposed to mean!?" Shinji asked, reverting to his normal voice, "Hey! Misato!"

She just smiled wryly and walked out, closing the door softly behind her. Shinji laid back and let his head sink into the pillow.

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=== Kitchen ===

Misato walked into the kitchen and found Andrew quietly having a beer and noticed an unopened can next to his on the table.

"So how's Asuka?" Misato said as she opened one of the cans.

"She's ok, I think she just had a lot of junk pent up in her…she just needed to blow some of it off, and unfortunately she chose to do so on Shinji…" Andrew said as he stretched out his arms and leaned back in the seat.

"I think Shinji was just caught off guard by it all, and tried to help," Misato said, looking down at her can, "but he didn't know that him doing it right then would only make it worse."

"What an amazing family," Andrew said after a long silence.

"Aren't you glad you're part of it now, 'Uncle Andrew' ?" Misato teased and patted him on the back as she got up to get some more Beers.

"Delighted," Andrew said sarcastically, but jokingly, "but I won't lie, it'll sure be interesting watching those two."

"Want one?" Misato offered as she pulled a can from the shelf of the fridge dedicated to alcohol.

"Sure, thanks 'Mommy' " Andrew added, repaying Misato's family joke and having to use his fastest reflexes as a rocket propelled beer can barreled toward him. Andrew was about to make another joke when he noticed that Misato had darkened a little as she walked back over. "Misato, I didn't mean-"

"No," she cut him off, "it's not you…it's just that…well, Shinji said something that……he said I'm not his mother, so I shouldn't try to act like it…I mean, I'm just trying my best, and they're at a tough age…and I'm trying to balance them with work and the Angels and all of this, it's just so much…and I want to be there for them. I just want to be there when they need some help, or want to talk…but more and more, I see them lonely or hurt and they don't come to me like they would go to a parent…"

"Misato," Andrew said in a serious tone, "I'm not exactly supposed to tell you this…but what the hell, it'll help us a lot more," Andrew readjusted himself in his chair and looked down to his can, "I know everything…about their pasts I mean…and about yours…"

Misato sat, shocked as the can she held in her hand slowly slipped downward, barely being caught in Andrew's reaching grasp before it would have hit the ground.

"Just listen, and I'll explain…"

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Neon Genesis Evangelion

(Caption) Defiance

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=== A week After the sync tests, Katsuragi apartment ===

"So," Shinji began, "I guess you'll be gone for a while, right?"

"Yeah, four days or so I think, for Touji's activation tests…" Misato responded, "but don't worry, Andrew and Kaji will both be here for the whole time.

"Okay, well I'm ready to go then…hey, where's Asuka?" Shinji questioned.

"She took off already," Misato said reluctantly.

"Why?"

"Teenage girls can be hard to understand sometimes, Shinji," Misato answered, "but don't worry, I don't think she's TOO mad at you anymore," she added with a wink and a smile.

"R-Really?" Shinji said with a glimmer of hope.

"Yup," Misato said, ruffling his hair a little, "Now you go and get to school before you're late," Misato said with a parental laugh, then she thought of something. "And be sure to apologize to her…lover boy!"

"Misato!" Shinji yelled back at her, but Misato retreated to the bathroom in a fit of giggles. 'Ughh…it's useless to even fight it…' Shinji thought with a sigh.

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=== Shinji's Classroom ===

(Ding…Ding…Ding)

"Hey, where's Asuka?" Shinji asked over to Hikari.

"I don't know Shinji," Hikari responded, "she normally walks to school with you, right?"

"Yeah, but she…uh…left early today, so I…uh…thought she might have gone with you…" Shinji said, his worry apparent in his voice.

"Worried about the Demon?" Kensuke ribbed Shinji, "eh, Shinji?"

"Gah…I-I am not!" Shinji almost yelled, "If there's anyone who could defend herself, it's Asuka!"

"Ha! And we can trust Shinji here," Touji chimed in, "he knows from personal experience!" he said with a slap to Shinji's back.

'Ughh…it's useless to even fight it…' Shinji thought with a sigh. Then Asuka walked in, she bowed and apologized to the Sensei for being late. 'Hmmm, I wonder where she was?' Shinji thought, stealing a glance at Asuka, 'Oh well, probably some girl stuff or something.'

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=== Lunchtime ===

Asuka and Hikari walked over to where Shinji and Kensuke were eating.

"Hey idiot," Asuka said, "mind if we sit down here to eat?"

"Uhhh…sure go ahead…" Shinji said slowly, baffled by why the two most beautiful girls in school would sit down next to him.

"The classroom is being used for a teacher's conference, so we had to come out to the peasantry's eating area," Asuka explained with an aristocratic tone.

"Whatever," Shinji waved it off. He got a 'hmph' from Asuka.

"Hey, where's Touji?" Hikari questioned.

"I don't know, he said he had to go somewhere for a minute," Kensuke explained.

"He probably wants to be alone for a little," Shinji said, "Well, at least that's what I would want to do right now if I were him…"

"Oh yeah, his activation test is at Matsushiro tomorrow, right?" Asuka asked.

"Uh-huh…" Shinji took a bite of something from his bento.

"…I hope everything goes alright…" Hikari whispered to herself quietly, but apparently not quiet enough, as both Shinji and Asuka gave her a cockeyed look. Then noticing that the other was looking at Hikari, Asuka gave Shinji a 'we need to talk' look.

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=== School Roof ===

"Mr. Suzuhara?" Rei asked quietly.

"Oh, it's you Ayanami…" Touji sighed out.

"You are having…second thoughts…about your becoming a pilot?" she inquired, still emotionless.

"Heh, you read my mind…" then Touji thought for a second, "You know it's pretty rare, for you to be concerned about someone else."

"Is it?"

"Yeah…except for Shinji that is…you have a thing for him though."

"Do I? I'm not sure I understand…perhaps…it is…true…"

"You do, trust me," Touji gave her a smile before walking down to the lower levels of the school.

"Good luck…Pilot Suzuhara" Rei said as Touji neared the steps. Touji looked bewildered for a moment, then chuckled.

"Thanks Ayanami."

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=== Asuka and Hikari, walking home from school ===

"Sorry, Asuka," Hikari said, looking downward to the pavement, "You usually walk home with Shinji."

"I only walk home with Shinji because we live together," Asuka responded, " not because of anything else." Hikari giggled a little at hearing her friend's defense. Asuka gave a digusted, 'oh whatever' look and continued on. "You wanted to talk about Touji?" Asuka grinned at her friend's furious blush.

"Is it that obvious?" Hikari managed.

"Mmm-hmm," Asuka nodded, "the Stooges are the only ones who can't see it…but I think Shinji might actually be getting the picture."

"Shinji…" Hikari trailed off for a moment, "he seems nice in a kind of sensitive way?" Hikari said looking for input from Asuka.

"Shinji's a big fat dork! And he's denser that lead too! He wouldn't know how to relate to another person if you gave him a manual!" Asuka retorted very quickly. This caused Hikari's eyes to narrow on her friend and a smile to grow on her face. "What?" asked Asuka, dumbfounded by her friend's look.

"Oh, nothing…(deep sigh)"

"What is it now?"

"Asuka, I think Touji might be interested in Rei…they were talking together at lunch…"

"Wondergirl!?!" Asuka almost fell down laughing, "Ha, don't worry Hikari it'll never happen. If Shinji is denser than lead, than Rei Ayanami is off the atomic scale!"

"Really?" Hikari could barely keep down her glee…but then a plan formulated in her mind. She wasn't a scheming girl, and by no reason a mean spirited girl…but this was an opportunity she could not simply pass up. "I don't know…she seems pretty friendly with Shinji, and Shinji doesn't seem to mind too much," Hikari said with a thoughtful tone. Hikari looked for her friend's response, but saw not her friend, but a steaming with anger, stark raving mad psycho.

"Ooohhhh, so everyone thinks they're just so perfect together," Asuka said in a purely venomous death tone, "even you…they're just the greatest couple of losers to find each other's (grrrrr)!!!!!" Hikari could feel the heat that Asuka was emanating from her body. Then she poked Asuka in the arm, unable to control her laughs.

"(laughing) I knew it!" Hikari said, giggling between sentences, "You LIKE Shinji!" Hikari teased, prodding at Asuka more and more.

"I…I…I do not!" Asuka said in her defense, her mind gone blank.

"That proves it! (giggle)" Asuka decided Hikari was having way too much fun with this…

"I-It doesn't prove anything!" Asuka said, trying to make some sort of defense for herself, "I could never like that idiot!" Hikari wouldn't push any further, but she had gotten enough out of her friend to last a long time. Asuka was completely flustered, no where near her usual arrogance and confidence. Her eyes stayed slightly widened the entire way home, and her face was bright red.

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=== Later, at the Katsuragi apartment ===

Shinji sat at the table, wondering why Asuka was late again. Kaji was here with Shinji, as per Misato's orders. Andrew wasn't around or at his apartment next door, so that meant he was somewhere watching over Asuka. That reassured Shinji in the light that nothing was seriously wrong and Asuka wouldn't be in danger. Then his train of thought was broken as the door to the apartment opened and a familiar red head walked through. Shinji decided to not show worry and just play things normally.

"Hey Asuka," Shinji greeted. Asuka just walked by without a word, and with a strange look on her face. Kaji saw this and decided to chime in.

"How's my favorite German today?" Kaji asked giving one of those ladykiller smiles. It bothered both him and Shinji greatly when Asuka gave a simple and unemotional 'ok' back to him and traveled on to her room.

"Ummm…Kaji?" Shinji asked.

"Hmmm, we'll ask Andrew when he gets here, he won't be too far behind," Kaji responded.

Ten minutes later, Andrew came slowly through the door. He appeared to be deep in thought, his right hand covering his mouth and chin, while his left cradled his right arm's elbow.

"She came in?" he asked unemotionally. Kaji and Shinji just nodded their heads.

"Hmmm…" Andrew wondered aloud, "Shinji, you like that vista lookout over the city right? Like for when you need to clear your head or something, right?"

"Yeah…why?" Shinji responded questioningly.

"Well, that's where Asuka went for a while…" Andrew said, lowering his hands to his sides, "she just stood there for a while. She was going over something in her head, sometimes she shook it, like when you try to get rid of a thought."

"That's not like Asuka…" Kaji added, then smiled, "maybe you're rubbing off on her a bit, eh Shinji?"

"…I wish…" Shinji muttered under his breath.

"I'm sure we all do," Andrew said, a slight bit louder than Shinji had. Shinji's head snapped up, surprised that Andrew had heard him.

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=== Asuka's Room ===

Asuka lay on her bed, still wondering about what Hikari had said.

'What the hell is wrong with me? I don't like that stupid idiot. I'm not all nervous when he comes around like Hikari and that dumb jock. Rrrrggghhh!!! That idiot! I'm gonna have to pound him for this! He's the only reason I have to go through this! Why am I even still thinking about him! I spent enough time doing that already…Hikari, you're going to pay, you're going to pay through the nose for this!'

Asuka rolled over on her side, back and forth, trying to force Shinji out of her thoughts, but to no avail.

'Well…what exactly IS he to me? If I don't like him, then I must hate him…but…I don't really hate that idiot. Mmm, and that cute little butt of his' Asuka thought seductively, but then slapped herself. 'Oh mein Gott! What am I thinking!? Well…it's not like I hadn't noticed that before but…mmm, it is a nice one…and in that plug suit of his…oh yeah, that's the stuff…'

Asuka couldn't believe the thoughts that were suddenly flowing through her head. She had never even considered some of them before this moment. That surprised her greatly, and she hit her head repeatedly against her pillow.

'Ahhh! Get your mind out of the gutter you idiot! Why! Why! Why is this happening to me! I don't want it! I don't need it! And why of all people on God's green earth!? Why him!? Cupid, if you're an Angel, I'm going to personally crush you into oblivion! But first…why? Why am I so tortured over this? All she was doing was joking around right? But why DO I always get so mad…when Rei and Shinji are together?……No…no…no no no no no no! I am NOT jealous of that stupid Wondergirl! I am definitely NOT getting jealous for that jerk, Shinji! He's mine anyway! It's not like Wondergirl could compete with my talent or beauty anyway! He's my-'

And there it was. Asuka caught herself.

"He…He's mine?" Asuka whispered, 'Why did I say that? I mean, I do tell him what to do…and he never really fights back…but that's why I hate him…isn't it? Sure, he may make my lunch, and clean up after me, and make dinner…and just do all those things that are nice for me…and just me…' Asuka sighed and rolled over onto her stomach. She hugged her pillow softly and rested her head on it.

"That idiot…" Asuka let herself have a small smile.

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=== Next day at school ===

Asuka was honestly upset. She thought that all of this was taken care of yesterday. She thought that through all that usage of her massive brainpower that she had resolved that…she didn't HATE Shinji, especially now that she realized that, well, compared to the other guys in their class, he was quite the looker…but that didn't mean she was falling in love with the guy or anything, just that she realized that she didn't hate him. That was all…ALL. Nothing more. And yet she found herself stealing quite a few glances at him.

Why did she keep doing this? She didn't quite know the answer to that. But she wouldn't have any longer to ponder her situation with the Third Child either.

(Sirens rise up slowly in the background, but quickly reach the school, and three cell phones ring simultaneously)

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=== Entry Plugs of the Children / NERV Command Center ===

"Unit 01 in position," Shinji said, "but Misato is at the activation tests, who's going to command?"

"I will," a cold voice belonging to one Gendo Ikari, shot out.

"Oh," was all Shinji could manage as a chill ran down his spine.

"Unit 02 here," Asuka announced, her Eva taking position next to Unit 01. "Do we have any information on the Angel?"

"No," Gendo said after a pause.

"Unit 00 is in position," Rei said calmly.

"Blue Pattern confirmed! The Angel is nearby!" Maya shouted.

"Spread out," Gendo ordered, "Unit 01 will stay in that area, Unit 02 will find cover and surprise the Angel with melee combat, Unit 00, find a good overwatch position and set up for sniping."

"Roger," all three responded.

"Belay that," a voice shouted from the bridge, "forma tight group, when the Angel comes, use overwhelming force and the element of surprise to counter and destroy it."

"Agent Langley, you would do wisely to not interfere with NERV combat operations," Gendo said coldly, "this is NOT your area of expertise."

"What in the hell are you thinking-"

"I would remind you of your rank COLONEL LANGLEY," Gendo cut him off and emphasized the rank.

"And I would remind you of your duty," Andrew retorted with disgust, "are you TRYING to kill your pilots?"

"Remove Agent Langley from the bridge," Gendo ordered without emotion.

Andrew grunted in disgust as two guards came up to him and grabbed his arms. He shrugged them off as he began walking away.

"I'll leave on my own accord, Ikari," he finished with a dangerous edge. He was beginning to see the basis of hate that Shinji felt for his father.

"What's going on? Father?" Shinji asked.

"Nothing," Gendo paused, "a small malfunction."

"A-Alright," Shinji said, although even he could tell it was a lie.

"The Angel is coming into view!" Maya shouted to attention.

"Mein Gott!" Asuka exclaimed.

"Th…Th-That's U-Unit 03!" Shinji said in shock, "Father! What's going on?!!"

"That is the target," he responded coolly, "Unit 03 is to be re-designated as the 13th Angel.

"My God," Maya said quietly in disbelief as a close up of Unit 03 came into view.

"BUT TOUJI'S IN THERE!" Shinji shouted, his voice full of pain.

"Irrelevant," Gendo said, still cool, "it is an enemy, the enemy must be destroyed."

"Irrelevant? IRRELEVANT?" Shinji's voice was choked with tears and yet, very firm, "Is Touji's life IRRELEVANT?! Father you-"

"AHHHH-!!!" Asuka's scream cut in, and everyone turned to see a lengthy black stream connecting to Unit 02's neck. The black stream being the Angel's arm, stretched to an unbelievable extent, and slowly, but surely, squeezing Unit 02's neck.

"My God," Maya cried out, "it's going to crush her neck!" she looked to Makoto, "Cut all nerve connections! NOW!"

Just as the final nerve connections were severed and all synchronization with Unit 02 cut, the final armor broke and Unit 02's neck collapsed beneath the pressure of the Angel's grasp. The Angel threw the Eva a couple hundred meters to the left, then it's arm retracted to a normal length, and its gaze came to rest upon Rei and Unit 00. Only Ikari could have maintained such a calm after such an easy defeat of their veteran Eva pilot.

"Eject Unit 02's entry plug, send a recovery team," Gendo ordered clearly, "Unit 00 engage the Angel at a distance and provide cover fire while Unit 01 sorties."

"U…Understood," Rei said slowly as she lowered her weapon to a level degree with the Angel. Although he displayed no hint toward it, Gendo was very unnerved at Rei's uncommon response.

'Can I?' Rei thought, 'can I take the life of another? Is it even truly necessary? Is it possible…that…the Commander…is in…error?' Rei was unable to finish that thought as the Angel lifted itself into the Air and pounced upon Rei's Eva, knocking it to the ground and the rifle out of its hands. The Angel pinned Unit 00 down to the ground, and it opened its mouth and a thick, soupy acid seeped from its mouth and into the arm of Unit 00, causing veins of infection to appear and slowly snake up the arm.

"The Angel is attempting first level nerve contamination!" Maya announced, "54 seconds to complete contamination of the left arm!"

"Sever the arm." Gendo ordered.

"But-" Maya tried.

"NOW," Gendo shouted.

Unit 00's left arm was violently ripped from its body as Maya forced herself to enter the command codes, despite the fact that Rei was still fully connected to her Eva. Rei let out a small scream of pain and she immediately grabbed at her left shoulder with her right hand and held it tightly, holding back the urge to cry freely.

"Pilot has sustained some nerve damage…it…looks like it can be repaired, but Unit 00 and Rei cannot continue to battle…" Shigeru reported.

"Eject Unit 00's entry plug," Gendo ordered, then paused, "Unit 01, you will now engage the target."

"Father! I can't! I can't kill another human being! Much less…my best friend…"

"That is irrelevant!" the Commander shouted in a rare outburst, "You will attack the Angel and destroy it, that is your purpose!"

"NO!" Shinji shouted, "I CAN'T!"

"Damnit!" Gendo shouted. His teeth were clenched and his fists in balls on the command deck, "Alright! Cut off all of Unit 01's nerve connections and engage the Dummy System!"

"Sir, I don't think-" Maya started.

"Do it now," Gendo said icily, "or I will find someone else who can."

"Y-yes, s-sir," she responded meekly, then tapped some commands into the system. "Dummy system…coming online now, sir."

Gendo eased back into his chair and let an evil grin slip onto his face as the dummy system whirred within Shinji's entry plug.

The red lights within the plug were odd to Shinji, as it made the LCL look like the blood its taste resembled. Then the click. And the whirr of a spinning drive. He looked back and red the letters on a small case under his chair as the massive arms of the Angel took advantage of the quiet Eva and wrapped its hands around his Eva's neck, attempting to break it like Unit 02's.

"FATHER!? WHAT IS THIS!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Shinji screamed pleadingly. He only received silence that made Shinji feel even more uneasy…then the lights of the viewscreen came back on. Unit 01's eyes now glowed red and its jaws separated and a growl was loosed from them. Unit 01's arms came up slowly and gained their own grip on the Angel's neck and began to fight back under the control of the ruthless dummy system.

There was silence in the control room in awe of the two giants doing battle. Then the klaxons began blaring.

"Oh my God! Not now!" Hyuga yelled.

"What is the situation?" Gendo asked calmly.

"We have a hacker attempting to break into the MAGI!" Shigeru answered. "My God! My God! My God!"

"This isn't possible!" Hyuga screamed, "Too fast! Too fast!"

"We have multiple break-ins!" Maya yelled.

"What!? Oh my God! There's 4 hackers!" Hyuga looked down at his screen in disbelief, "NO! THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE! The hackers are going faster than all three of the MAGI! It's the same pattern as the 11th ANGEL!"

"Running trace…" Shigeru's screen went blank, "They've shut me out of the I/O system!" Similarly, the screens of Central Dogma began to shut down. "They're shutting us all out! There's nothing we can do!"

As the din of noise died in the Command Center, all that could be heard were Shinji's unanswered screams of protest as the neck of the 13th Angel was beginning to snap under Unit 01's grip.

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To be continued...

Next Episode: Deliverance / Betrayal

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Author's Notes: I'll be pretty busy over the next week, but I'll try to finish Chapter 5 before Thanksgiving and post it before or on the holiday so all you lucky kids who are off (damn work!) can read it. Laterz.

Love n' Pizza

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End file.
